When the Night Grows Dark
by sixseasonsandamovie
Summary: "Because what you really want more than the power, more than the glory, is to be better than Thor in every way. You want to possess everything that he once held dear until it is yours and yours alone. And there remains only one thing in the nine realms that once belonged to him and still eludes your grasp." Jane sacrifices herself to Loki to save Thor. Smut-filled :)
1. Chapter 1

Hot lips trailed down Jane's throat as a hand played with the delicate skin just above her hip bone. His actions elicited a small groan from her lips. Jane ran her hands over his shoulders to fist in his silky blonde locks, bringing his face back to hers. The look in his blue eyes was tinged with lust and Jane could feel a wave of heat course through her body. Maybe this time…

Jane shifted her position in Thor's lap, pressing herself against him as she spoke. "Hey, do you want to…" she trailed off in what she hoped was a seductive voice.

Thor held her gaze and continued stroking her skin without missing a beat. "Do I want to what?" he asked as though she had simply forgotten the end of her sentence. Thor may be the god of thunder and a prince of Asgard, but aware of her sexual advances he was not.

She tried again, this time pressing her chest flush against his and bringing her lips to his ear. "You know, be intimate." Even saying that much brought a flush to her face. She was really no good at these things. At times like this, she wished her lovable oaf was a little better at picking up on her signals.

"Ah, you mean sex. Why did you not simply say so?" the thunder god chuckled lightly.

Jane let forth an exasperated sigh as she slammed a fist playfully against his chest. Subtlety was completely lost on Thor. "Never mind," she grumbled and began disentangling herself from his body. She scooted off his lap and rested her head against the back of her sofa, grabbing a pillow to squeeze. She wanted to curl up into a little ball of embarrassment.

Thor reached out and cupped her face in one palm. "It's all right, Jane. You can voice your desires to me."

Jane smiled weakly. This was not her first failed attempt at hinting to Thor that she was ready to take their relationship to the next level. In the few weeks that he had been on Earth, they had enjoyed very little alone time. Between invitations to join the Avengers in New York, to catching up with Erik, to Darcy's impeccable ability to arrive back at their apartment at the most inopportune times, Jane had found surprisingly little time to voice her desires as Thor was now coaxing her to do. And even when they did have time, Jane's own flustered personality got in her way more often than not. On her last attempt, she had tried an admittedly rather cheesy pick-up line about Thor taking her to the stars, but had ended up babbling about orbital mass instead, leaving Thor in a sea of confusion.

"I'll try," she said at last. She saw Thor closing the distance between them and tilted her chin up toward his, letting her eyes close as she waited for the feel of his warm lips.

Only, the feeling never came. Instead, she felt a warm tingling across her body, and then a dizzying rush as she was pulled from her apartment. She opened her eyes just in time to see the edge of Asgard materialize before her. The white light enveloping her and Thor began to fade, letting her float slowly to the ground. While she was excited to be in Asgard again, the slightest glance at Thor showed that every muscle in his body had tensed. Apparently they were in for trouble.

"Heimdall, why have you brought us here?" Thor called out. He reached an arm out and mjolnir flew quickly into his grasp.

The normally rigid man slumped forward to one knee. With effort, he raised his head to look at Thor. Jane gasped, recognizing that his all-seeing eyes had lost their glow and looked up at them with plain brown irises. "Mortals," Heimdall said. "Loki has turned all of Asgard to mortals."

Jane shot a frightened glance to Thor. Wasn't Loki supposed to be dead? Hadn't he sacrificed his life to save her and Thor? How the hell could he get enough power to transform the mighty men and women of Asgard into beings no stronger than her? These questions and more raced through her mind, but the hardened glint in Thor's eyes made her think better of asking any of them just yet. She scooted closer to Thor's side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me more," Thor commanded through gritted teeth.

"There is nothing more to tell, my prince." Heimdall bowed his head again. "Loki appeared suddenly, possessing a power foreign to us. Everywhere he struck left our people powerless and weak. As I saw the effects of his cursed magic spreading to the edges of Asgard, I used the last of my power to summon you here." Heimdall removed his sword from his waist and offered it to his prince on outstretched arms. His muscles instantly began shaking with the weight of the effort, no longer able to support the fearsome metal blade. "I am sorry, my prince. I fear that I was already too late." His arms began sinking lower as Heimdall lost his battle against the blade's weight. "I have failed you."

Jane could feel the anger buzzing off of Thor, every muscle in his frame taut with fury. Clearly it pained him to see the mighty Heimdall brought so low, and to know that it was caused by yet another trick of his brother's doing.

"Rise, Heimdall." Once the man was standing again, Thor continued. "You have done well in bringing me here. I will put an end to my brother's madness once and for all." Thor turned his pained expression to Jane and pulled her tight against his side. "Come, Jane." He began spinning mjolnir to build up momentum, then sent them flying toward the palace where Loki would surely be awaiting them.

Once Thor set her down, Jane felt as though time had sped forward leaving her in slow motion. She struggled to take stock of the situation. The golden room of the palace looked unchanged, save for the slumped figures that had fallen in various locations around the room. Were they dead? Had Loki decided to kill any mortal Asgardian desperate enough to fight back? As she turned her head to where Loki stood, she saw that he and Thor were already engaged in combat, with Loki spewing some sort of hateful taunt that flew by too quickly for her to process. As though her brain was churning through deep water, she took in one fact at a time. Thor was attacking Loki with his fists. Mjolnir was lying untouched in the middle of the room. Loki was easily dodging each of Thor's blows.

"No!" she screamed as the realization slammed into her. Loki's magic had turned Thor into a mortal just like the others. Without his power, Thor stood no chance against the super-charged Loki. She watched in horror as Loki began the offensive, slamming Thor's body against one of the pillars.

Thor slumped to the ground, but refused to stay down. Just as he got to his feet, Loki slammed into him, sending Thor toppling against the steps. Even from her distance, Jane could see the wounds spreading around Thor's body. He couldn't take much more, she had to do something.

Jane's brain finally caught up to speed as she began to formulate a plan. She had to save Thor, no matter the cost.

"Stop!" She cried, launching herself at Loki before he could unleash his final blow. He turned his attention toward her, untempered malice in his emerald eyes. He raised his hand to direct his fiery assault at her instead when her next words stopped him cold. "Take me instead."

A maniacal laugh exploded from his lips. "What could I possibly want with you, mortal?"

 _Shit!_ Jane thought. _What next?_ Jane glanced at Thor who was struggling and failing to rise from the floor. Maybe if she could play to Loki's ego and need for dominance… Another second of taking in Thor's bleeding wounds steeled her resolve. "The one thing your brother never had."

Loki paused a moment, taking in her meaning. A wicked smile came to light on his face. He lowered his outstretched arm and steepled his fingers under his chin. "Oh, Thor, your woman is clever indeed to tempt me so."

Thor made a redoubled effort to pull himself from the ground, the force of which pushed fresh blood from his wounds and colored his voice with the echoes of his pain. "Jane, no. I would sooner die than-"

"Silence!" Loki bellowed as he sent a spark of green flame that knocked Thor to the ground once more. He looked back at Jane, his expression changing from rage to keen interest in a mere second. "Go on," he purred, sidling closer like a predator about to snatch a mouse between its fearsome jaws.

Jane was still reeling from Loki's sudden shift in emotion, but forced herself to think. _He's already conquered Asgard and Thor is his final trophy. He flaunts his power over others, but always has a trick up his sleeve._ Thoughts whirring, she pressed on. "It's true that you have claimed the throne of Asgard and become more powerful than even Odin himself, yet you remain unsatisfied." She paused, half cringing as she waited for the angry blast that would surely follow her statement. After a beat of silence passed, she opened her eyes fully and found Loki staring at her inquisitively. Perhaps he really would hear her out. She gathered her courage once more and continued, "Because what you really want more than the power, more than the glory, is to be better than Thor in every way. You want to possess everything that he once held dear until it is yours and yours alone. And there remains only one thing in the nine realms that once belonged to him and still eludes your grasp."

Loki laughed again, this time in what appeared to be actual amusement. He circled Jane, drawing her hair away from her neck with one long finger as he bent his head to speak against the soft crook of her neck. "So Thor's little plaything is quite the temptress after all."

As he spoke, Jane fought her reflex to clench her fists. She refused to give him the satisfaction of showing her revulsion and instead focused on keeping her breathing even and on trying to keep her eyes off Thor. She couldn't bear to see the impact of her words on his heart. He had suffered enough already, now it was her duty to protect him. "Spare Thor's life. In return, I will give myself to you so that you can have complete dominion over everything that was his. So that you," she had to force the words from her lips, "can have even the part of me that he..." she trailed off. Loki had apparently found her words encouraging and had now snaked an arm around her waist, right hand moving ever closer to the piece of her body that she could not put words to.

"Do you hear that, brother?" Loki spat. His fingers dug tightly into Jane's waist eliciting a small cry from her against her will. "She is willing to offer me her little cunt in order to spare your life." Thor roared his protest, but Loki shot another spurt of flames at him that forced the blonde warrior into silence once more. Loki's pleased expression grew to manic joy at his brother's distress. "Oh how I will revel in your anguish as you watch me claim your final prize." He pinned Jane against the hard line of his torso in a stance clearly meant to show Thor his position of control. His lips were at Jane's ear, breathing each word in wicked glee. "My terms are as follows: You will serve me willingly and freely in anything I need or desire and I will allow your precious Thor to live. Should I detect even the slightest hint of disobedience, I will dismember him before your eyes and subject your mortal form to such torture that you will plead for death."

Jane could not control the shiver that ran through her body at his words. At last she let her eyes wander to Thor and saw her worst fears confirmed. Skin a ghastly gray and covered in fresh wounds, Thor held immeasurable hatred in his eyes. Throughout all of Loki's misdeeds over the centuries, Thor had always found it in himself to forgive Loki, yet his look showed that the raven haired brother was no longer worthy of forgiveness. She could tell Thor wanted nothing more than to channel his rage into snapping Loki's neck, but it was useless. With Thor in his current weakened state, Loki could be rid of his eternal nemesis in a single stroke. The only way to save him would be to give in to his lunatic brother's demands which would hopefully buy her enough time to come up with some kind of plan.

"Jane," Thor called with the last of his strength, "It's some kind of trick. You can't -"

"I accept." Her answer was barely audible, but Loki's final squeeze of her hips indicated he had heard her response loud and clear.

"Foolish girl," he growled, "You have no idea what you've done."

* * *

A/N: This is my first Lokane fic, and I had a ton of fun starting it. I'm clearly a sucker for good-girl/bad-guy combos and was inspired after finally watching the Thor movies.

Feedback is my favorite, so let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Fair warning, kinks ahead ;)

* * *

Loki turned from his new victim back to his brother with a look of disdain. With a whisk of his fingers, he sent a wave of green light that enveloped Thor and made him disappear. Jane opened her mouth to protest when Loki cut her short. "I have not forgotten our agreement. He is merely waiting in the palace holding cells until I have taken care of other matters." Without a second glance, Loki grabbed Jane's wrist in an iron grip and tugged her along behind him as he strolled quickly through the room.

With Thor gone, Jane suddenly felt the foolishness of her actions in full force. She had just agreed to fulfill Loki's every need and desire without a hint of protest. While the choice had been clear as she watched Thor suffer, doubt now ate away at her mind. Would Loki even keep his end of the bargain? Would he tire of her after getting what he required and kill Thor anyway? She couldn't even raise the question of what exactly his every want and need might entail. And most pressing at the moment, where the hell was he taking her?

They had now left the throne room and were rapidly climbing the stairs to one of the taller towers in the palace. Jane longed to slow down, to stall her fate by looking over the Asgardian waters as the sun kissed the horizon, but Loki's unrelenting pace urged her forward. At last, they reached an ornate set of heavy wooden doors at the top of the stairs. Loki rushed them through and their hasty journey finally came to a halt.

Jane found herself deposited in the center of a large room filled with rich furnishings. To her left was a sprawling balcony overlooking the final rays of sun that touched the royal gardens. To her right she saw a hall with several doors, indicating a set of private rooms. "The king's chambers," she breathed aloud as the thought hit her. Of course Loki would install himself here.

Loki said nothing, but circled her again with a predatory look. It took all of Jane's effort to stand tall and keep an unwavering gaze on the doors through which they had entered. Her pulse hammered in her throat and her palms began to sweat, but she forced herself to keep a stoic facade. Hiding her fear was the only act of defiance she could afford and she held onto it with all of her might.

"Such a brave front, little one." Loki had come to stand in front of her again, entirely too close for comfort. In a flash, his hand reached out and gripped her jaw. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. She was sure he wanted to see her flinch, but she denied him the satisfaction. His grip hardened just to the point of pain as he sneered. "Will you be so brave when I have you on your knees begging for my cock?"

A flush rose unbidden to her cheeks, yet she remained silent. The hammering in her chest had increased tenfold and she knew her voice would betray her fear. She silently begged for Loki to get her torture done with. At least then she would know what he had in store for her. Perhaps he would even leave her alone long enough for her to come to terms with what she'd done.

"You are a curious thing indeed, mortal." He smirked and released her chin. A hint of mischief crept into his voice as he continued, "However, you are now servant to a king, and must appear as such." With another twist of his fingers, Loki sent a wave of magic toward Jane that left her skin tingling. He slowly raked his eyes over her body, making no attempt at disguising his lust. "Much better," he growled as he grasped Jane by the hips and spun her toward the full-length mirror adorning one wall.

Jane gasped audibly at her reflection as a deep crimson blush worked its way across her face and neck. Loki hadn't just changed her clothes, he had utterly transformed her appearance. Gone were the grey hoodie and jeans she had been wearing. In their place she was clad in what could only be described as a sexy Asgardian warrior bikini. The green and gold metal that covered only her most private parts looked exactly like Loki's armor. A skirt the same color as his emerald cape was draped from her waist, yet the thigh high slits on either side meant that her legs were still mostly exposed. Finally, she noticed that the pieces of metal were connected by a thin golden chain that matched the golden collar around her neck as well as the thick gold bands at her wrists and ankles. Her wind-blown hair had been swept into an artful braid that circled the crown of her head and flowed down her back.

Loki was standing behind her, gently tracing the golden chain across her hip as he continued to stare at her through hooded eyes. Something between the absurdity of her appearance and the overly-intimate feel of Loki's hand finally made Jane snap out of her self-imposed silence. "You made me your Asgardian slave Leia?" she hissed. Her fear boiled into anger as she considered Loki's intent. She had assumed he would simply bed her and be done with it, but he was clearly looking to draw out her torture. She had half a mind to punch him in the face again and felt her hands already curling into fists.

"Such fire," Loki chortled. He grazed his fingertips up her exposed sides, inching closer and closer to her breasts barely concealed behind the armored bra.

Jane couldn't hold back any longer and spun toward him to let a fist smack his face, but Loki easily grabbed her fist in his. "Not so fast," he chided her. His voice was soft, but his grip was fierce, and Jane quickly cried out from the pain. "Remember," he whispered with malice, "you agreed to serve me willingly and freely. No disobedience." His eyes flashed on the final syllables, giving his face a maddened expression.

What was she supposed to do? His sudden mood swings once again left her baffled. Was he looking for deference? Did he actually want her to disobey him? Instead of finding the answers, Jane merely held his gaze. Let him see that she would remain strong no matter how much he provoked her. She reigned in her temper and let her anger root her in place, blocking out the pain from her hand.

"Hm." Loki smirked. In a fluid motion he released Jane's hand and pushed down on her shoulders just hard enough to force her to her knees. He eyed her from above for a few moments, but made no move to touch her further. "Draw me a bath," he intoned, finally. "I will return before long." In the next instant he was gone, leaving Jane alone in the room.

* * *

Loki smirked to himself as he sauntered down to the dungeons. What a productive day he'd had! First he had conquered Asgard and forced all to bend to his will, then his darling brother had shown up for a surprise visit. The joy of seeing Thor's mortal form crumple beneath him came second only to the joy of the fire burning in the eyes of his little plaything. She had looked positively delectable in the servant's garb he'd given her, particularly with that pretty crimson blush spreading over her fair skin. He could already feel himself hardening at the thought of the many ways he could torture her.

At last he reached his destination and he forced all other thoughts aside. It was time to pay his brother a visit. He had transported Thor to a holding cell much like the one he had occupied himself not long ago. Although the slumped figure inside could hardly be recognized as Thor at all. The bleeding had stopped, but the wounds in his mortal flesh had yet to heal. His breathing was labored and his blue eyes were glassy with pain.

Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "How fare you, brother?"

Though it took some time, Thor brought his eyes to focus on Loki. Thor's visage was awash with anger, sadness, and incredible sorrow, leaving him looking haggard and aged beyond his years. _Now, now, brother,_ Loki chided internally, _always so quick to reveal your emotions._

"Loki," he croaked at last. "What have you done with her?"

The green-eyed brother spit forth another spurt of maddened laughter. "The question, brother, is what will she do with me?" He stalked to the very edge of the enchanted partition holding Thor inside. "She has agreed to serve me willingly, and I'm quite eager to test the limits of her skills." When Thor had no response, Loki continued. "Her sharp little tongue was so quick to make this offer, I only wonder what other talents it possesses. Do you think she'll want to lap up my seed once I've spent it on her?"

"Be done with it, Loki. Have her and set her free."

Loki's eyes danced with a newly invigorated light. Thor's words were just further proof of his obvious torment. Hearing his brother admit defeat and accept his total control was utterly divine. How easily Thor gave up when he could not reach a solution through strength alone. Spurred on by his brother's words, he pressed even closer to the barrier, looming over his once powerful kin. "Oh, no, no, no. I shall have quite a bit of fun drawing out her torture. In fact, I don't even think I'll fuck her until she begs me."

Thor thundered forward at Loki, but shocked himself on the enchanted walls of his cell. He was knocked back, sprawling on the floor and looking up at Loki with undisguised hate once more.

"Pathetic," Loki spat. He turned on his heel and left the room.

* * *

Jane remained frozen in place on her knees for a few moments. She peered around the room without raising her head, attempting to see if Loki was really gone. Even if he had merely disguised himself, this was the closest to being alone she was likely to get. Her instinct was to crumple to the floor and weep for all that had happened, but she forced herself up instead. There was no knowing when he was coming back, and she would not show him the emotional turmoil he had caused her.

She stumbled to the bathroom and began to run some cool water. One handful at a time, she splashed the water against her face, trying to still her racing heart and calm her breathing. How was it possible that just this morning she had been laughing as Thor discovered french toast for the first time, and now she was in Asgard as Loki's personal sex servant?

"What have you done, Jane?" she whispered aloud. Turning off the water, she eyed her face in the small mirror. For all her efforts to stay calm, the girl looking back at her still seemed wild and terrified. How could she sleep with Loki? What if she couldn't follow through? What if he followed through with his threats and tortured Thor?

At the thought of her wounded hero, Jane let forth an anguished cry. Everything she had agreed to had been for him, but now was the moment of truth. If she could not hold up her end of the bargain, she would have accomplished nothing except humiliating and enslaving herself to a truly twisted man.

She tried to think of what Thor would do if he were enslaved by his nemesis, but knew that he would only call forth the power of the gods to destroy his opponent. She was born without powers. The only things that came to her were those that she had worked tirelessly for. She may not possess otherworldly strength, but she did have a scientific mind and a strong-willed determination. She would have to be her own hero and fight her own battles. Only she could save herself.

A short while later when Loki entered the room, she had already drawn his bath. The bath of the king's quarters was a great stone recess in the ground large enough to comfortably fit 10 normal-sized humans. It was made of a polished stone that Jane had never seen on Earth, but that shone golden even in the moonlight. She stood near the tub, facing the great curved balcony on the opposite wall that afforded her a view of the Asgardian stars.

She heard him enter the room, but kept her gaze locked on the sky. It had been easier to get lost in stargazing than to think about what he would ask of her on his return. Now that he was back, she waited for him to make the first move.

"Did you miss me?"

She could hear him stepping closer, but was still at a loss for words. Of course she hadn't missed him, but saying so was not a possibility. Still fumbling for words, she knew she needed to respond before getting reprimanded. "I-" she said as she turned around. No more words were possible as she tried to stifle a gasp of shock.

Loki had soundlessly shed his clothes and was coming toward her in all his glory. Jane only had time to take in the hungry look in his eyes and the taut muscles moving beneath his skin until he was there in front of her so close that his lips could be on hers with only a small tilt of his head.

Jane was absolutely sure he could hear her pulse pounding. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she struggled for air. He was so close now that every intake of breath pushed her breasts against his chest. She raised a hand to push him back, but realized too late that to do so would be to incur his wrath. Instead, she was forced to leave her palm flat against his chest. She glanced up to catch his reaction, unsure of what he would do.

He paused momentarily, eyes drawn wide with a mix of emotions displayed too fast for Jane to recognize. "What a brave girl," he laughed lightly. Jane was about to breathe a sigh of relief when his emotions snapped back in the opposite direction. "What a brave, insolent, foolish girl." With another of his lightning fast moves, he plucked the hand from his chest and gathered both of her wrists behind her back encircled tightly in one of his own.

Jane let out a small shriek. She had fought hard to conceal her fear and anger, but it had won her nothing.

To her surprise, Loki laughed again. He stepped away from her, but Jane felt as though her hands were still in his iron grip. She found that she could not move and could only follow Loki's motions with her eyes.

"I thought this was what you liked, Jane," he jested. "Brute force and feats of strength."

"No," she whimpered. She was getting whiplash from his rapid changes in emotion. He must be absolutely crazy, and Jane was not about to be dragged into his madness. "Please," Jane begged, "just tell me what you want from me." She knew her facade of stoicism was cracking. She was moments from losing all of her resolve when the room fell silent.

Loki did not answer, but turned from her and lowered himself into the bath. Once he was settled, Jane felt her hands release and took a stumbling step forward.

"Come here."

With great trepidation, Jane stepped forward until she was standing over the tub.

"Get in."

She was about to protest, but thought better of it at the last moment. His tone now was even, but it held a power that dared her to defy him. She cautiously dipped a foot in the water and found that it was still as warm as when she'd filled the bath. One foot at a time, she slowly lowered herself into the water, noticing that her metal lingerie disappeared as she did so, leaving her completely exposed. Rather than have Loki eye her form for any longer than she could help, she quickly submerged the rest of herself in the water. Only when she had taken a seat as far from Loki as she could manage did she look up at him.

"Come here." The same command as before, but now clearly indicating the space immediately before him. She watched him take note of her slightly trembling limbs as she crossed the bath at a snail's pace. His eyes flashed in anger, but he made no motion or sound. He merely watched her come to him like an insect drawn into a spider's web.

She hesitated a foot in front of him, unsure of what he wanted her to do next.

"Closer," he beckoned in a voice at least an octave lower than before.

Jane inched forward, watching the steam rise off the water. Anything to avoid looking directly at him. His words were at once mesmerizing and terrifying, sending chills down her spine.

"Closer," he called again. There was nowhere to look now but directly into his glowing green eyes. Her lips parted slightly at the intensity in his gaze. She shuffled forward again until her body came to press against his. The feel of his warm skin against hers sent an unbidden surge of heat to her core.

He slowly brought his hands to cup the backs of her thighs, then worked them up and over her backside, drawing her closer still until she could feel his hardness pressed between her legs. She gasped at the feel of such intimate contact. He held her there for a moment, gazing intently at her expression. She was sure he was reveling in the blush spreading across her cheeks, her lips parting in anticipation, her eyes wild with uncertainty.

"What are you going to do to me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes took on a malicious tint as a smirk spread slowly over his lips. "Nothing."

Jane had only a moment to be confused before Loki spun her and increased his grip so that her back was pressed tightly to his front. He locked one leg over hers, spreading it wide and pinning her in place. She felt his raging hardness pressed solidly to her rear. He shifted her slightly against it, but made no attempt to enter her.

The strangled noise released from her throat was half gasp and half moan. She felt him chuckle lightly, his breath released in hot puffs against her skin that caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end.

Loki slid his hands slowly up from her hips, barely tracing the edges of her breasts, then down her arms until he grasped both of her palms lightly. Moving her hands in his, he let her left hand rest delicately on her neck and placed her right at the curve of her breast. He removed his hands and returned his fingers to their resting position on her hips.

"Touch yourself." His words ghosted against Jane's ear and spread an even deeper blush across her face and neck.

"Wha- I… umm.. I" Jane stammered.

"Small circles." He expertly guided the hand at her breast in delicate swirls over her curves that left her skin tingling. After a few strokes, he removed his hand and let her continue on her own.

"Tell me, Jane, how does it feel to have my cock pressed against your tight little ass?"

His words were intoxicating and Jane had trouble formulating an answer. Despite her fluttering heartbeat, she could feel pools of warmth beginning to build between her thighs.

"I asked you a question," he intoned, anger beginning to rise in his voice.

"G-good." She was supposed to be completely willing, right? Maybe if she told him what he wanted to hear, he would end her torture soon. Yet even as she rationalized her response, a small voice inside of her whispered that her answer wasn't far from the truth.

Loki released a satisfied groan against her ear. "Touch your breasts," he instructed.

Jane lowered both of her hands across her chest until she was cupping a breast firmly in each palm. Her breasts had begun to feel heavy with need and her touch relieved the feeling slightly. As she began to squeeze herself, she brushed her thumbs over her nipples and felt them instantly pebble at her touch.

His moan of pleasure was louder this time. "So responsive," he growled.

She continued to knead her chest and brushed her fingers over her nipples again. She moaned softly as the action began to build pleasure in her.

"Do you like touching your nipples, Jane?"

She whimpered both at the sound of his voice and the feeling of her hands. "Yes," she gasped, never doubting the truth of her statement.

"Pinch them."

Jane did as he commanded and felt a new rush of sensation. Her moan was louder now as unrestricted need began to flow through her. She could feel her clit throbbing, her walls aching for friction. "Please."

She could clearly hear the strain in his voice now as he fought to speak over his own groans of pleasure. "What do you want, Jane?"

She struggled to think through the desperate want filling her body. She needed to be filled, needed to relieve the mounting pressure within her. The words were on her tongue when she forced her lips shut. _No. Anything but that._ "I want to touch myself," she finally forced out.

"Do it," he commanded.

Her fingers stole hungrily to the aching wetness between her legs. She thrust a finger inside herself and groaned at the feeling of her own lubrication. She quickly moved to her swollen clit, rubbing hasty circles that left her drawing ragged breaths between sighs of pleasure.

"That's right, Jane," Loki growled, "feel how wet your body is for me. Feel how it aches for my touch."

She cried out as she slipped two fingers inside herself, pressing against her tightly contracting walls. She could feel her pleasure mounting and chased after it desperately.

"I'm close," she whispered after several moments. She didn't know what had possessed her to tell Loki that fact, but it had passed her lips and there was no going back.

His fingers clawed at her hips as he spoke his whispered command against her ear, "Come for me, Jane."

She circled her sensitive nub once, twice, three more times and felt her hips begin to buck with the force of her release. Just as her body began to move, Loki bit down on the sensitive flesh on her neck. The mix of pain and pleasure sent Jane spiraling and she cried out loudly, her entire body quivering.

After several long moments, her body stilled and her senses returned to her. She was painfully aware that her naked form was still pressed against Loki, and that the raging hardness trapped against her had only stiffened impossibly more since her release. Her heart began to race again as she waited for the command that would surely order her to give herself to him in repayment for her pleasure. She stiffened as the seconds rolled by, afraid to move and disrupt the delicate balance in which they rested.

At last, Loki gave her hips a shove that sent her sputtering across the bath. "Enough." The calloused ring to his voice was unmistakable. "You shall await me in my chambers."

Against her better judgement, Jane turned to look at him. His face was a mask of cool confidence tinged with maniacal glee. Her face flushed as she made her way across the tub, with Loki left gloating over his victory. Of course he would use her own pleasure to assert his dominance over her. She had let herself be played like his own personal instrument with just a few words. He hadn't even touched her! It might have actually been less humiliating if he'd simply fucked her. Instead, he'd pushed her to want, nearly making her beg for release.

Jane held her head high as she stepped out of the tub. She refused to debase herself even further by begging for a towel or clothes. Instead, she marched from the room naked and dripping. She only allowed herself to shiver once she was well beyond his gaze.

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A/N: And so things begin to heat up. I promise this is only the beginning ;)

What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all of the feedback so far! Your encouragement keeps me going :)

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Water still trailing from her body, Jane made her way to the large door at the end of the hall, certain that this must be where Loki meant for her to go. Under normal circumstances (what exactly counted as normal when she was in Asgard, anyway?), Jane might have taken time to marvel at the gilded canopy bed sprawling over the center of the room, the vast tapestries that lined the walls, or even the open veranda leading to a private stream, but she was on a mission. Angered and humiliated by Loki's actions, she needed to cover herself, and fast. _I'll bet he expects me to curl up shivering under the covers so I can beg him to warm me,_ she fumed. _Like hell I will!_

She marched to the bed and yanked the overlarge sheet from its surface, wrapping it around herself awkwardly. Even when she lifted up the front, the back trailed several feet behind her on the ground. Jane realized she would more than likely trip in this haphazard contraption, but even that would be better than Loki's eyes boring into her naked flesh.

Jane began to search for real clothes as she unleashed her mental tirade. It was so infuriating what he had done to her. How had she gotten so worked up with a few simple words? Where was her logic? Where was her backbone? She could have remained stoic, refusing to show her pleasure and denying him his prized satisfaction. But then again, did she really expect any different from the self-proclaimed trickster god? He said he wouldn't do anything to her. Sure enough, she'd done most of it to herself.

She was still fuming when she finally found a trunk containing clothes. She rifled through a few green tunics until she realized what these were. Loki's clothes. She paused suddenly, a deep, forest green shirt between her fingers. She didn't particularly want to wear Loki's clothes, but she doubted he would expect such a bold action from her. It might be worth it to knock him off balance for once. With that, she slid the garment over her torso, then wriggled out of the sheet. Jane looked down and was disappointed to note that Loki's shirt only fell to her mid-thigh. In addition, the fabric that had seemed firm in her hand turned out to be quite flimsy once on her body. She turned back to the trunk to find more conservative dress when a certain wicked chuckle stopped her in her tracks.

"Oh, I quite like this," Loki purred.

Jane turned to see him sitting at a small table across the room, a smirk lighting across his face, eyes hungrily raking her over. She sighed internally, realizing that he could have easily been in the room the whole time without her realizing. Shooting a glare his way, Jane turned back to the trunk to search for different clothes.

In a flash, the trunk snapped closed. "Come here," Loki commanded.

A slight shiver went down Jane's spine as she recalled the result of that command only a short while ago. Even though she dreaded the outcome of his call this time, Jane turned obediently and took the seat he offered all too close to close to himself.

"Are you hungry?" He waved his hand and a tray filled with various meats, cheeses, and fruit appeared. Jane eyed it warily, cautious of Loki's sudden generosity. His eyes had lost their wild appearance from before, his smirk lustful, not lethal. Everything about his manner was calm and controlled, yet Jane could not bring herself to trust him.

"Is this some sort of trick?" Jane asked. This was simply too much. In only a few hours, he had done much to humiliate her - dressing her as his slave, shoving her around, forcing her to take her own pleasure in his arms. How could he offer her food as if none of that had happened?

His eyes were unreadable. "You have such a fierce spirit, Jane." He reached out and cupped her face in his palm.

She held his gaze firm. If he meant to harm her, he would have to meet her eyes while he did it. Jane waited like that for several moments, every muscle in her body tensed for the slap or painful grip she was sure would follow. She was surprised to see no malice in Loki's gaze. It seemed as though he were merely studying her intently, as though she were an intricate piece of machinery that he was trying to decipher. His thumb brushed her cheek and Jane felt her eyes flutter closed against the warmth spreading from his hand across her skin.

 _No._ She would not let herself be fooled by his sudden gentleness. This was still the same man - monster, more like - who had attacked New York, who had faked his own death for who knows what purpose, and who currently held Thor prisoner. The man who held her prisoner. Gathering her anger, Jane jerked her chin from his grasp. "You never answered my question," she said, not bothering to hide the edge to her voice.

Loki allowed his hand drop to the table as his eyes flashed with something Jane could not name. "Well, Ms. Foster, I suppose you either need to believe me when I say that this is not a trick, or die of starvation."

 _Damn it, he's right._ Jane took a small bite of food, chewing slowly as she tried to detect if there were any flavors that didn't belong. All she could sense was that this meal was delicious, and she was absolutely famished. She struggled to continue eating slowly, refusing to show Loki her desperation even for an instant. After a few more bites, Jane noticed that Loki was not eating, but was simply watching her. Jane shifted in her seat, trying to subvert the unsettling feeling he caused within her. "So what has brought about this sudden act of kindness?" she asked at last.

"Hm," he half laughed, "I can't imagine you'd be of much use to me if you were starving and weak." His eyes flashed with a moment of malice. "Mortals are so fragile that way."

"Now that all of Asgard is mortal, I'm sure you have a lot more hungry mouths to feed." Jane knew she was walking a risky line, but her anger had made her bold.

The self-proclaimed king laughed loudly this time. "Oh, that I do. I assure you, they are being taken care of." The twitch of his lips as he spoke made it difficult for Jane to decipher the meaning of his words.

She stopped eating, her eyes growing wide with horror. "They aren't… you haven't….already, have you?"

"If your scrambled words mean to question whether I have slaughtered all of my subjects, the answer is no." His lips twitched again. "Not yet."

Jane scrambled to find the hidden meaning in his words. Was he saying that there _were_ people he had already killed? Surely there had been violence in his sudden takeover, but who exactly had died? Her voice trembled with the force of her fear and rage. "What will you do-"

"Enough," Loki cut through her words. "Your time for questions is over." He leaned forward on his elbows until he had firmly invaded her personal space as was his recent hobby. "I'm far more interested in having my own questions answered."

Jane flushed as she remembered just how he had used questions against her before. She still felt the stabs of humiliation prickling her skin. _Fine. If it's round two, then do your worst. I'm ready for you this time._ Her anger still bubbled within her, but she focused on keeping her face still and casually popped a berry into her mouth. "And what questions are those?"

Chuckling softly, Loki reached out and grabbed a lock of her hair between his fingers. He twisted it slowly around his hand. "Why were you so quick to offer this arrangement?"

She took another bite to buy herself time. _He's just trying to get to you. Don't react. Don't react._ "To save Thor. You already know that." She stole a furtive glance at him to gauge his response. The telltale glint in his eye sent her heart thundering, and she returned her gaze to the space in front of her.

"Indeed." Loki slowly released her hair and stroked the smooth skin of her neck. "But you mistake the meaning of my words."

Jane was about to play dumb when she felt his hand dip along the top of her breasts. Every point of contact between his fingertip and her skin was a line of fire burning into her flesh. As she turned to look at him, the wicked glee etched into his features sent her over the edge. "I offered myself to you because it was my only bargaining chip with someone as deranged and depraved as you are." _So much for keeping my anger in check. Doesn't matter, the bastard deserves it._

He trailed his finger up the hollow of her throat to tilt her chin in his direction. As if by instinct, Jane met his gaze. He made a point of slowly widening his smile before whispering, "Said the pot to the kettle."

"What?!" Jane was shocked, frozen in his grasp. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. "No! How can you…?"

Loki silenced her by fisting his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck. He let out a mischievous laugh that ghosted against Jane's skin. She felt her heart rate increase at his proximity, but continued to eat regardless. "I do _so_ admire your courage," he intoned as he brought his hand to rest on her bare thigh, "but it will win you no favors." He gave her thigh a tight squeeze and Jane fought against a gasp at the intensity of his touch. There was a definite fire in his eyes now, and Jane realized that her brashness would surely earn her punishment. His hand continued its winding path up her thigh and the scientist became painfully aware that she had not found underwear while rummaging through Loki's clothing. The knowledge that she was so exposed to Loki's touch pushed her anger aside and sent her heart pounding at an alarming rate. "You call my tastes depraved, yet weren't you the one who took pleasure from our encounter?"

Loki had forced her moves. Just because she climaxed didn't mean she liked their interactions… did it?

"Your face may show defiance, Jane, but your body says otherwise." He pressed two fingers to the skin of her neck, smirking again as he felt her elevated pulse. "You like this."

Jane wanted to scream. Of course she didn't like this! How could she? Suddenly she heard her body release a soft moan as Loki's lips sucked at her pulse point. _Fuck._

Loki furthered his assault. "Tell me, had you ever touched yourself before?"

Jane swallowed hard, wondering if there was any way to escape the feelings Loki was tugging from her body."Yes," she muttered, knowing that she would inevitably be forced to answer his question. _But it never felt like_ that _before_. She wouldn't let him know that following his commands had somehow made the experience...

"Did you find your time in the bath more pleasurable than your previous attempts?" Loki swirled his fingers over the edge of her folds as he spoke, and Jane could feel a jolt of wetness shoot to her core. "Your body tells me yes."

Jane whimpered softly, but made no other reply.

Loki's teeth grazed her ear as he posed his challenge: "You're going to beg me to let you come." His voice took on the same husky and demanding tone he had used with her earlier. "Tell me how you pleasure yourself."

Jane's breath caught in her throat. There were too many questions swirling in her mind for her to process. The flush from her face was quickly spreading over her whole body, including the warmth between her legs. She struggled to breathe as she thought of what she might say. _Damn him._

The hand that wasn't busy swirling over her entrance cupped her face just as he had before. He turned her chin toward him, but she kept her eyes averted. "Look at me," he commanded.

It took tremendous effort for Jane to resist crying out, whether in agony or anticipation, she didn't know. At last, she brought her eyes to his. She could hide behind her words all she wanted, but she knew her torment was written clearly across her expression. Loki dipped a finger into her wetness and she bit her lip to stifle the moan that tried to escape from her throat. He was clearly amused by her tortured expression and repeated the action twice more. Jane was less successful at keeping quiet each time, and heat shot down her spine as she realized she moaning in Loki's arms once again.

"You never answered my question," he sent her own words back at her. The wicked smile on his lips revealed just how much he enjoyed watching her come undone.

Jane silently cursed Loki for toying with her, cursed herself for letting her anger get the best of her, cursed her body for betraying her and responding to Loki's touch. His expression was expectant and Jane forced herself to speak before he decided she needed more coercion. "I, um.. Sometimes, I…" she stammered. Why did she have to look at him while she said this? Her face turned an impossible shade of red as she made an admission to him that she had never said to anyone before: "Sometimes I use a vibrator." _There. Done. Now stop,_ she silently pleaded.

Loki's amusement only increased at her words. He scooted his entire body closer to hers as though it would help him capture the humiliation radiating off of her skin. The hand cupping her cheek began to trace the long line of her neck, provoking yet another unbidden response from her body. "What manner of Midgardian device is this?"

 _No way. No fucking way._ Jane was sure this was some sort of trick, that he had concocted this question to take her torture to a new level. She searched his face, looking for anything in his expression that would confirm her suspicions. Whether it was a skilled mask or truly genuine, she saw nothing but heated curiosity. _Maybe they don't have those in Asgard…_ She felt trapped by the hunger in his eyes. She had no choice but to answer, no matter how difficult it would be. "It's, um, a phallic-shaped device that, um, vibrates to simulate motion." She silently prayed that he would be satisfied with this explanation.

Loki used his elbow to spread her legs apart, never breaking eye contact. "And am I correct in assuming that you," he paused to watch her face as he slid a finger deep within her, "insert it into yourself?"

"Yes." Her voice quavered. She could feel her sudden wetness, hear it even, as Loki slowly withdrew only to plunge two fingers inside of her. No matter how hard she tried to fight, she couldn't escape the desperate need his fingers drew from her. Being forced to look at him while he touched her somehow only magnified the feeling. She found herself craving his touch, but he kept his fingers still.

"Tell me what you do with it next."

This time the words were easier to find. She knew what her body wanted, what it was begging for. "I would move it in and out." Her words faltered as he began moving his fingers and a wave of pleasure emanated from her core. The unbridled lust in his eyes spurred her on. "Slowly at first, until I could find where it felt best." Her chest was heaving and her mouth hung open. She made no attempt to fight the moan he elicited from her as his fingers rubbed against her walls.

"And where does it feel best, Jane?" His emerald orbs glowed with desire as he spoke.

Seeing how much he wanted her sent another surge of wetness to Jane's core. Loki growled as his fingers slid against her wet core. He brushed his thumb against her clit, causing Jane to cry out loudly. She squeezed her eyes shut, lost in the sensations of his fingers deep inside her and thumb drawing pleasure from her surface.

"Open your eyes," he demanded. He returned his free hand to her chin, once again forcing her to meet his gaze. Just as he did, his fingers brushed against that sweet spot inside of her, ripping an even louder moan from her throat.

"There," she pleaded.

"Do you want more?"

"Yes!" Every stroke of his fingers pulled enormous pleasure from deep within her. She needed more, would do anything to get it. She felt herself spreading her legs wider, gyrating her hips in rhythm with Loki's touch. The need was an all-consuming, white hot light burning within her, threatening to engulf her at any moment.

Just as she neared the edge, she felt his fingers begin to slow. She tried to move her body to compensate for the dip in sensation, but could not recreate the feeling on her own. "Please," she breathed heavily. She opened her eyes again to stare into his.

His eyes danced with a new light. "That's not good enough, Jane."

His meaning was lost on her until she found herself calling out with another stroke of his fingers. "Please!" she cried even louder.

"You can do better than that." He circled her clit with the next stroke of his hand.

"Ah!" Jane screamed. "Please, Loki, make me come."

He brought his face only an inch from hers, lips pulled back in a sinister grin. "No," he whispered.

The next moment was a rush of sensations too sudden for Jane to comprehend at once. The sensation of any contact from his body was gone. She felt a tingling on her skin as when he had dressed her by magic. The room was dark. Her wrists were tight.

After a few seconds, Jane found that she had regained feeling in her body and could turn her head. She found herself in a bed in a smaller, poorly lit chamber decorated in a similar style to the one she and Loki had just occupied. Her wrists were tied to the bed above her and she was stretched out across the mattress. The chuckle from somewhere to her right was the first indicator of Loki's presence. She ground her teeth as the realization of what had just happened began to wash over her. "Where am I?"

"Chambers for the king's servants," He strolled forward into her range of vision, "where you shall be enduring punishment for your insolence." He leaned over her so that his face was just over hers, raven locks hanging down and brushing her skin. Using only the tip of his finger, he traced the edges of the aching wetness between her legs. "Here is your proof, Jane. Proof that you crave my touch, desire my domination." He chuckled again, pushing his lips together into a sickening smile. "Proof that your fire and determination will earn you nothing but torment."

Before Jane could speak even a word, he was gone in a flash of green light. She lay there stunned for a moment, unable to breathe, unable to think. The exhaustion and stress of her day began to wash over her, the ache between her thighs a painful reminder of her shame. For the first time since arriving in Asgard, Jane felt a tear trailing down her cheek.

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A/N: I personally love seeing how far Loki can push her, even though this is just the beginning. More bad boy Loki on the way, so stay tuned! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Hey! Long time no see. Since the release of Chapter 3, I've moved states, gotten married, and enjoyed my Honeymoon. Now that things are finally starting to come back to normal, I was eager to bust out this chapter. I have so many plans for this story and can never seem to get to all of them as quickly as I want. Good news for you is that just means more chapters coming your way. Thanks for reading!_

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Jane squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to hold onto the last remnants of sleep. Maybe if she kept her eyes closed long enough, she would wake up back in her apartment and everything would be a terrible dream. _Damn, no luck,_ she sighed as she tested out her theory.

As she began to take stock of her condition, she was overcome by a feeling of pure exhaustion. She was no stranger to sleepless nights - in fact many of her best research breakthroughs came after working until four in the morning - but this was a different experience entirely. Whereas the eventual rest that followed those power sessions was soothing, the entirety of the previous night was exhausting and there was no end in sight. Grappling with the waves of guilt, regret, and desire had been draining, but it was the dreams that had truly kept her stirring all night.

Each time her eyes closed, a pair of bright green ones had stared at her out of the darkness. Sometimes menacing, sometimes cloaked in desire, they had shaken her to her core. She'd woken throughout the night with her heart pounding and the ache between her legs growing only more pronounced. Even after the dreams when she felt herself screaming in protest, her body desired his touch. Waging this war against her body's desires was maddening, but it was also the only way to keep herself out of Loki's tangled web. _You're already trapped,_ a voice inside her head whispered, but she stretched her sore limbs to tune it out.

As she turned her attention to her bound wrists, the all-too familiar tingle of magic spread itself over her body again.

"Good morning, Jane." She found herself once again standing in Loki's bedroom, watching him recline in the center of the bed, hands folded behind his head with a cocky smirk playing on his lips. His muscled chest was bare. In fact, he wore no clothes that Jane could see from where the sheet rested across his lap just below his hips. "How did you sleep?"

The anger she felt at his false kindness was enough for her to tear her eyes from the long lines of his abdomen. She was about to spit back a sharp reply when the ache in her wrist reminded her that he would find a way to punish her for the retort sooner or later. "Just fine, thanks." It didn't quite hit sincerity, but at least it lacked real bite.

Loki chuckled darkly. "I knew you wouldn't mind being tied up."

Jane clenched her fists, but made no other reaction. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed the edges of Loki's all-too-short shirt that still hung on her frame. When she looked at him again, she tried to hold her face in a mask of composure. "How may I be of service?" Perhaps playing into his need for dominance would redirect his attention away from her personal torture for a moment.

A sly grin worked its way across his features, indicating that he saw right through her facade. "Why do you think I summoned you here, Jane?" He cocked an eyebrow as he spoke, clearly enjoying the game she was trying to play.

 _Does he really think I"ll give in that easily?_ Jane continued in an even tone, "Perhaps you are in need of personal assistance?"

"And what sort of personal assistance do you suppose I am in need of?" Between the low tone of his voice and the growing hardness creating a tent between his thighs, his meaning was quite clear.

Jane felt herself staring at the rising portion of the blanket for a moment too long. When she met his gaze again, his look burned through her. She refused to give in to her increasing heartbeat. "Getting dressed, clearly." She quickly realized that she was no longer playing the meek servant, but was instead treading on very thin ice. Her heartbeat hammered on and she tried to convince herself it was only in anticipation of how Loki might react.

"Such fire in you, Ms. Foster," ghosted a voice at her ear. Jane gasped as she realized that an identical copy of Loki was standing behind her, warm skin pressed against her torso. She continued to stare at the Loki in bed, and was met with a nearly maniacal grin. "I do so enjoy playing with you." The copy's lips were against her ear, sending each word out in a hot breath that tickled her skin. His hands were on her hips, raking up her sides, pulling the shirt over her head, leaving her bare, breathless. "Now what do you think I want from you?" the Loki in bed spoke again.

 _Breathe, breathe, breathe,_ she chanted. Just when she thought she'd finally gotten the upper hand, Loki had turned the tables on her once more. The copy continued to run his hands over the sides of her skin, and suddenly the ache from last night that had never fully gone away was back in full force. It was all she could do not to groan in pleasure at his touch.

The copy fisted his hand in her hair at the nape of her neck and tugged with enough force to hold her tightly against him. Jane whimpered softly. "Answer me," he growled against her jaw.

 _How can I answer him? How does he expect me to even breathe like this? What can I say that will hold him off just a bit longer?_ After a few more heartbeats, Jane found her voice. "You want… me. You want me to…" She was trying to find her answer when the copy's tongue traced against her neck and pushed a groan from her lips. "You want me to pleasure you," she got out at last. As she answered, the fake Loki released her head, and she looked to see how her words would wash over the original still lounging on the bed. He showed no change, but the Loki behind her was now pushing her onto the bed. He grabbed her hips forcefully and positioned her onto all fours, straddling the doppelganger's torso.

Despite all that the copy's actions had elicited from her moments before, Jane found herself paralyzed with fear. It was too much, too fast. Was she to be shared between the lookalikes? Passed between the two while the other watched? _What if he means to….?_ Jane couldn't finish the thought.

Loki chuckled. Jane refused to look up to confirm which direction the voice came from. Her hands fisted in the sheets, shoulders tensed, teeth clenched. If this is how he planned to cash in on their bargain, she couldn't even pretend to be obedient. _Let the sick, sadistic bastard laugh all he wants._ She felt Loki shift beneath her and tightened every muscle in her body, preparing for the moment he would take her. Moments passed, but nothing happened.

A hand in her hair. A thumb stroking her cheek. A chuckle that seemed to contain less malice. "Not ready for all that yet, are you, Ms. Foster?" Jane didn't want to look up, sure that this pretense at kindness was a trick. Without further comment, Loki grabbed her and pulled her to him. Jane felt like an insect being tugged further into the web just before the spider's meal.

Loki had her pressed against his front, their bare skin touching from chest, to torso, to hips. She could feel his hardness just beneath her, but he seemed content with only external contact for the time being. His hands climbed her back slowly as Jane felt her muscles begin to unclench. Finally, she brought herself to look at him, but couldn't understand the expression on his face. His mouth contained a hungry half smile, but there was something softer in the way he looked at her. _It's a mask,_ she reminded herself.

Jane waited a moment, but Loki made no further action. The unpredictable nature of his silence frightened her almost as much as the prospect of being split between two of him. "What do you really want, then, if you aren't going to share me with yourself?" she asked at last. She took a quick peek over her shoulder just to verify that the copy had indeed vanished.

"I assure you that while that was not my intention, it is a most delightful notion that I shall save for another time." She hated that telltale smirk. His hand descended over the curves of her body and her insides began to warm of their own accord. "What I have planned for you, my little toy, is far more devious."

Wide-eyed, she looked directly at him. _More devious?_ Images of whips, chains, masks, and medieval torture devices flooded Jane's mind. _He certainly is the torturing type…_

"Oh it's not so bad as all that," he whispered, reading the terror in her eyes. He traced his nose from her pulse point to the sensitive flesh just below her ear before he added, "At least, not yet" and nibbled on her earlobe.

Jane had never felt the war between her body and her mind more acutely. Her brain screamed at her to get away from this monster and his sinister plans for her, yet also reminded her that to do so would be to break their bargain, effectively ending Thor's life as well as hers. Her body was also in conflict, but of an entirely different sort. Her hands wanted to dig into his flesh, her breasts needed to feel the tightness of his grasp, every inch of her skin ached to be licked, sucked, and the hollow between her thighs became a raw, empty, aching longing. Her senses were in overdrive, each point of sensation begging to be the first to be attended to. Through her musings, her hands had somehow found their way to his torso where they rested lightly, timidly. She refused to feed her carnal needs until she could be sure she was free from harm. "What _do_ you have planned for me, then?"

"Oh, I couldn't spoil that secret." She could feel his characteristic trickster smirk as his lips moved over the tops of her breasts. "But I suppose I can tell you why I have summoned you here this morning." He pulled away from her and met her gaze. He encircled one of Jane's hands between his thumb and forefinger as he spoke, and now slowly traced her hand across his firm chest. Jane gasped audibly as her hand trailed lower and lower, over his abs, around his navel. He paused the progress of their path in order to catch Jane's eye. "You will learn how to pleasure me." He pushed his hand lower as he spoke, until Jane was gripping the base of his shaft.

His skin was warm, firm, smooth, and lightly coated in her own wetness that she could feel continuing to pool in the space between them. The sensation was enough to drive her mad. In an instant, her need became too intense. Her exhausted willpower didn't stand a chance. She would submit.

"Stroke me," he growled. She felt a surge of heat in her vast emptiness at the force of his command. His words entranced her, and she became his personal puppet. Jane grabbed the base of his cock tightly and began to tug it slowly, drawing out the effect. She shifted her hips up slightly in order to give her hand access to his full length. She gave an experimental tug from base to tip, searching his features for a reaction. He stared down at her with a primitive hunger in his eyes that caused her to cry out. "Faster." He grabbed Jane's hand in his and moved it at the appropriate speed. "Yes." His hands slid over her hips, up to her breasts and squeezed them with the strength she had been longing for.

Jane gasped at his touch, silently pleading for more. More of his searing touch on her flesh? More of the sweet wetness she felt dripping from herself and coating his shaft? More of those groans that compelled her to simply…. obey? Instead of contemplating the answer, she moaned loudly when Loki turned his attention from her breasts to her nipples, taking one between his teeth and the other between his fingers. She channeled her desire into pumping his shaft, sliding her hand along the sensitive skin until he released involuntary groans.

Loki moved her free hand into his hair and pushed her face into the crook of his neck. He detached himself from her chest long enough to whisper, "Kiss me," in a voice so hoarse with desire that Jane felt her walls clench in pleasure. She did as instructed, placing her lips against his neck and tasting him for the first time. His skin was smooth, warm, scented with leather, sweat, and his own personal musk. She breathed him in as she moved her lips up toward his ear, then down again. With each touch of her lips, she felt his cock twitch in her hand. When she reached the curve of his shoulder, he pulled his mouth off of her again. "Bite me." Obediently, Jane sunk her teeth into his skin, sucking and tasting his flesh. Loki's responding growl was so loud that Jane couldn't determine if it was from pain or pleasure. It wasn't until he answered her by twisting her nipples tightly, causing Jane to cry out in her own pleasurable agony, that she understood - it was both.

He pushed her away, and for a moment, Jane was unsure of what he meant to do. He sat staring at her with that same hungry wolf glare in his emerald eyes. His chest was heaving. She noticed a red splotch left by her lips. Next his hand was on her, pushing her head down until she was on her knees in front of him, eyes level with his raging hardness. "Suck me."

 _Mmph._ When he ordered her like that, Jane wanted nothing more than to please him. Taking him in one hand, she pulled him level with her mouth. As she closed her lips around him, she looked up to see Loki's eyes fluttering shut. Jane continued to take him deeper into her mouth, wrapping and sliding her tongue along his shaft.

"That's it, Jane. Deeper." His voice was ragged. His hips pumped along with her ministrations as he held her head against him. Jane wanted to scream. She was completely aroused by taking him so deep in her mouth. She wanted to make him come, needed to make him come. She ran her tongue around him several more times, relishing in each of Loki's strangled moans. After several more moments, his grip tightened in her hair. Jane could feel him tensing. In the next moment, he was spilling his seed into her mouth, bucking his hips, and whispering a breathless plea she couldn't quite make out.

With another of his lightning-fast moves, Loki had her on her back with her hands over her head and his face directly above hers. His expression was no less hungry than before she'd finished him. "Did you enjoy that, Jane?"

"Yes." Her words were barely a whisper. Jane felt like she was about to die under that piercing stare. She needed relief and she needed it _now._ "Loki, please."

"Since you beg so sweetly." He was fast and brutal, plunging two fingers into her wetness and sliding his tongue over her clit. Jane let out a small scream as he circled her clit again. "Mmmmm, so wet. You truly did enjoy sucking my cock." Jane was paralyzed with the pleasure of being relieved after aching for him for so long. He wasted no time in stroking the sweet spot he had located inside of her the day before. "Say my name," he commanded.

Her next cry of pleasure pierced the air, but she obeyed. "Loki," she called as he applied his tongue to her once more. Suddenly she could feel the pressure inside of her building, mounting up to the relief she needed so desperately. "Loki," she cried again, louder than before. As the circles of his tongue and the pressure of his fingers against her her walls spiraled her higher and higher, his name flowed from her lips like a chant. One moment she was fisting her fingers through his raven locks, and the next she was _there_ , descending through waves of pleasure as she cried out his name.

After a few moments, Jane watched as Loki licked her juices off his lips and rose from the bed without a glance at her. "You have free use of my chambers," he called back without looking at her. "I shall summon you when you are needed." With that, he was gone.

It took several moments for Jane's heartbeat to slow, and for her to catch up with reality. Her body hummed in satisfaction, but her mind was awash with questions.

The trick was to compartmentalize. Over the next several hours, Jane set aside the tangle of emotions that had kept her awake through the night, and instead focused on cataloging her queries as scientifically as possible. She bathed, dressed in presentable attire, ate, and wrote, constantly adding new questions to the list. So far, she had narrowed her puzzlement to three general categories: 1) the mysteries of Loki's disappearance and newly found powers, 2) the purpose and consequences of his takeover on Asgard, and 3) how to get answers regarding the first two categories while protecting herself, Thor, and everyone else who was still alive on Asgard. _Should that also include how to protect everyone in the universe if Loki's intent is to strike?_ She added it to the list.

Sighing from her lack of answers thus far, Jane walked to the the large, open-air window where stars could be seen even through the early afternoon sky. _It would be amazing to catalog the universe from here, and then cross-reference with the constellations seen from Earth, not to mention the data gathered from NASA's space explorations. I bet if I could just get enough source material, I could map Asgard's exact location in the universe as it connects to Earth. Heck, with that much knowledge, I'm sure that Erik and I could build teleportation devices so that mortals could come and go from Asgard, too. And with Tony's help, I'm sure we could find a power source._ Jane turned her gaze back to the land and water as she quickly realized that all of these plans were fruitless, since she couldn't see a way off of Asgard any time soon. Besides, even if she could leave, that would mean leaving Thor and everyone else to Loki's mercy. And until she figured out all that might entail, she could safely assume she was leaving all of them to die.

She took a seat near the window. "Is this supposed to be my fate?" she asked out loud to no one in particular. "Sex slave to a madman who may or may not be bent on destroying the realm, and even the galaxy for that matter?" She chuckled softly at the absurdity of it all. If she ever managed to see her again, Darcy would eat this up. Jane laughed again, realizing that if there was enough pampering and bossing people around, Darcy might not mind this situation at all. She'd probably love it, in fact. _I wonder how Darcy and Erik are doing? I didn't exactly get to leave a note saying, 'Hey, gone to Asgard. Be back never!'_

After some deliberation, Jane gathered her notes and added a category of questions - status of Earth. She had only enough time to jot down the first 9 or 10 inquiries that came to mind when a familiar voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"My, you've been busy, Ms. Foster." Loki strolled through his chambers, glancing at some of the papers she'd left scattered around. He picked one up from a small table and read a few out loud. "Question 37 - Source of Loki's powers - result of interaction with a radioactive space beast?" He chuckled easily. "Oh, here's a great one! Question 51 - Did Loki's mysterious absences include time in a sex dungeon that created his controlling complex?" He set the paper down and walked over to where she was sitting. He took a seat across from her, a light smile still playing on his face. "May I?" he asked as he stretched his hand out for the notes Jane was currently writing.

She debated showing the papers to Loki, but knew there was really no way to hide them, anyhow. Reluctantly, she handed them over. As he read her list silently, she watched his face for signs of any mood swings. He may be in a light mood now, but her questions were highly incriminating.

"Question 2 - Will Thor regain his powers if he returns to Earth? Hmm." His tone betrayed nothing, but Jane stayed wary. "Question 7 - Possible Stark/Banner/Selvig collaboration to create personal transportation devices between realms?" He looked at her directly. He was not pleased. "Eager to be free from Asgard so soon, hm, Jane? And here I thought you were quite enjoying yourself."

Jane flushed a deep red. "You know I'm always interested in research," she offered as a weak excuse. _Shit, he still looks pissed._ "I've been locked in the room all day - there's not much to do here. Maybe if you let me explore, or if I had people to interact with-"

His glare cut her off. "Here is a question for you, Jane: What do you suppose the outcome of our agreement will be?"

She shuffled her papers together, looking down. "I didn't exactly have time to map out all of the consequences when I made the offer."

Loki gestured to the lists still cluttering the room. "But I am sure you have now. Where do you see this leading?"

Jane didn't like where this was going. "Well, option one, I hold up my end of the agreement, and you hold up yours, until I'm no longer interesting or useful, and then I'm dead. Hopefully by that point, you've concluded your plans with Asgard and everyone is safe and sound." His silence indicated that she could continue. "And then there's option two, in which you throw a wrench into option one and the whole thing spirals into chaos."

He was openly smiling now, and Jane had to fight the sense of whiplash she felt when his moods shifted so suddenly. "You're an intelligent woman, Jane. Which option presents itself as the most likely?"

"The second."

"And so you've proven your intelligence after all." He stood, handing her papers back to her. "Keep making your lists if you feel so inclined. I promise they will be of no use to you." He turned toward her and offered his hand. Jane took it cautiously, and he pulled her into a standing position flush against his chest. "Come along, I have a surprise for you." With a wicked glint in his eye, he led her from the room.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Leave me some feedback - it definitely makes writing the next parts much more fun. Once again, thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hey! Thank you for continuing to read this story. This chapter was by far the most fun to write so far, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Although Jane hadn't spent a considerable amount of time in Asgard, she'd wandered the halls of the palace enough to note the changes she saw now as Loki guided her through. To a stranger's eye, everything would appear the same: marble columns reaching toward vaulted ceilings, gleaming floors in hallways large enough to fit a freightliner, and splendid tapestries depicting epic battles from centuries past. What was lacking was the people. At times highly noticeable and at times striving to make themselves invisible, the building had always been teeming with Aesir. When Jane had visited before, soldiers had patrolled the halls and been posted at checkpoints throughout the castle. Even when security wasn't present, servants moved about the halls at all hours, transporting any number of items throughout the palace grounds.

Not to mention that when she had traveled here before, Thor had always been by her side. His warmth could have made even this empty vastness feel cozy and comfortable. Traveling with Loki was not the same. His hand would occasionally brush her side, sending waves of heat along her torso, but his presence was cold. _It's not just the Jotun blood,_ Jane told herself. Wherever he had disappeared to earlier seemed to have evened out his mood somewhat, but Jane still watched him with trepidation. There must be a root cause for his wild personality changes, if only she could puzzle it out. Even in quiet moments like this one, something weighed heavily on Loki. Perhaps he thought she couldn't see it, or perhaps he simply didn't want to discuss it. Either way, Jane found herself following him along the grounds with a million questions buzzing through her mind.

When her curiosity became too much, she decided to break the silence. "So, uh, where is everyone?"

"They are attended to." There was that smile again, without an ounce of joy behind it.

 _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ She decided to try another topic of conversation. "What kind of surprise are you taking me to?"

"The very nature of it being a surprise means that to tell you would spoil it." He looked at her with playful glee in his eyes. "Surely you can do better than that, Jane."

She sped up to keep pace with his longer legs and pondered what her next question might be. _Fate of Asgard? Out of the question. Origin of his powers? Highly unlikely. Status of Thor?_ She mused over that idea for a moment, but decided that speaking of Thor should be reserved for when she intentionally wanted to piss Loki off, not when she was trying to maintain the uneasy peace they found themselves in now. _What does he like talking about?_ And then it dawned on Jane just what he drove satisfaction from in each of their conversations. "So, um…" she cleared her throat. _Is it getting warm in here?_ "Regarding our… agreement…"

"The one where you traded your body to me in order to spare my brother's life?"

"Yeah, that one." Jane tried to even her breathing. _When did my heart rate speed up?_ "So, um, how does that work? I imagine that what we've uh…" she tried to avoid looking at Loki, "done so far, doesn't um…. fully count as meeting the terms of the agreement, and I'm sort of, uh… well, I was wondering… how all of that…"

"I believe what you are trying so eloquently to ask is: when will the agreement be consummated in full?" Even though Jane wasn't looking at him, she could sense his green orbs burrowing into her flesh. She was right. He was definitely relishing in making her feel uncomfortable.

"Yep. That's it."

His laugh echoed off the tiled floor. "Well, I suppose that depends on you, Jane."

Jane stopped short. "What?" _I'm pretty sure this whole 'I agree to do whatever you tell me' arrangement means you get to set the terms, right?_

Loki stopped several strides ahead of her and sauntered back toward her slowly. "Of course." He was now directly in front of her. So close. Too close. "Possessing you doesn't simply mean taking you by force. Any savage beast could accomplish that."

"And you're not one of those?" She begged to differ after the footage she'd seen of his attack on New York and the violence he'd displayed in the throne room. If attempting a hostile takeover of two different worlds didn't qualify him as a savage beast, then what would?

His hand was brushing her skin now, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, rest assured, I _am_ a monster, but I'm a creature of an entirely different sort." The flash of his eyes held dark promises that Jane was too timid to discover. "You want to know when our deal will be met? When you can't wait a single second longer, and you give yourself to me, begging me to take every part of you."

Despite her better judgment, Jane felt her temper flaring. Loki certainly knew how to push her buttons. "And if I don't?" She jutted her chin out, daring him to come closer.

He accepted her challenge, eyes flicking between her lips and the ferocity of Jane's glare. He stopped so close that his lips nearly brushed hers as he spoke. "You will. It's only a matter of time."

Jane remained frozen in place, unsure of what to do. A voice inside of her urged her to kiss him, but she was sure that would be granting him a victory she wasn't willing to concede. Forcing herself to push aside thoughts of the desire Loki had drawn from her this morning, Jane challenged her voice to express a bravery she didn't feel. "Watch me."

The trickster god sent her one last searing look before laughing genuinely and extracting himself somewhat from her personal space. "You certainly do amuse, Ms. Foster." He offered Jane his hand. "Come, your surprise awaits." Jane accepted the hand he offered, and continued to follow him through the palace.

After a few minutes of uneasy silence, they found themselves before a door that Jane recognized. "The prisons," she exclaimed breathlessly. _Shit! Is this my surprise? Is he going to lock me in here now?_ She looked to Loki wide-eyed, but his face gave nothing away.

"You have twenty minutes. When your time is up, I shall summon you back to my chambers." He motioned for her to enter the set of double doors.

 _Okay. Twenty minutes, and_ not _eternal prisoner. That's a good sign, right?_ With a nervous glance backward, Jane descended the marble staircase.

The halls below were well-lit, bathed in a white light and the soft yellow glow of the golden bars lining the edge of each cell. The cells that had once been packed with prisoners from many of the nine realms were now devoid of all signs of life. The prison's structure had been repaired since the dark elves' escape, and each cell looked fully operational. Jane wandered through several rows of empty cells, pondering why Loki would send her to an empty prison as a surprise.

"Jane."

The voice was barely a croak, so soft that Jane could not immediately pinpoint where it was coming from.

"Jane." Louder this time, and almost recognizable.

"Hello?" Jane turned down another corridor, and there he was. Thor, her golden god, lying in a heap like a shell of his former self. "Thor!" Jane flew to his cell, stopping just short of electrocuting herself on the golden barrier.

The god of thunder cracked a smile and shifted himself to kneel before the edge of the cell, as close to Jane as he could get with the barrier still between them. To call his appearance haggard or tired would be a dramatic understatement. Jane could hardly believe how much he had changed in the roughly 24 hours since she had last seen him. His naturally flowing golden locks hung limp against his pallid skin. Bruises discolored much of the flesh that Jane could see above his light tunic, including a particularly dark one just under his left eye. His normally expansive presence was greatly diminished.

"Thor." She couldn't stop her voice from breaking. "What happened to you?"

"It seems my brother finally had the upper hand in battle." To his credit, Thor tried to hide the wince as he shifted his right arm.

"Of course." Bile started to rise in her throat as she thought about what she had so willingly done with the contemptuous and cruel man.

Noticing her pained look, Thor's voice grew concerned. "Jane, has he forced sex upon you?"

"No," Jane said through the tears beginning to well in her eyes. _Nope. I played right into his little game, just like I promised._

"You bear his mark."

Jane followed the path of Thor's eyes and realized he was indicating the mark on her neck. "Yeah. Just part of… the bargain." She moved her hand swiftly to wipe the tear spilling from her eye, but wasn't fast enough to evade Thor's notice.

"What has he done to you, Jane?" His eyes were sapphire pools of hurt, longing. This was the look she should be dreaming about, not that piercing emerald stare.

She considered Thor's words for a moment. What had Loki done to her, exactly? Yes, he'd ordered her around in a few situations, but to say that she hadn't enjoyed any of it would be a lie. "He's gotten in my head," she said at last, looking up at Thor through heavy lashes.

Thor buried his face in his hands, raking his fingers slowly from temple to chin. "You should never have created this bargain. Only harm can come from it."

"But it saved your life!" She had to believe that all she had agreed to stemmed from a noble cause, that it was amounting to something good. "If I hadn't stepped in, he would have… would have…" Her voice broke again, realizing just how close to death Thor had already come.

Though mortal, the prince's voice still rang with the force of thunder. "I would have sooner sacrificed my life-"

"And then what? You think Loki would have just spared me and sent me back to Earth?" A vision of his cruel smile passed through her mind. "If he had kept going, neither of us would be here right now."

Thor remained silent, staring at the floor of his cell and refusing to meet Jane's eyes.

"I might have a plan," she whispered after a few moments. That got his attention. "If I can find a way to send you to Earth, you might be able to get your powers back, and then-"

"No." His voice was soft, but resolute. "Do not attempt to play his game. Loki relies on trickery and deception. He twists the rules so that none but him can win."

"But I really think-"

"I forbid it."

Jane eyed Thor incredulously. "You _forbid_ me? I may not have superhuman powers, but neither do you, at the moment. Of the two of us, I think I'm the one who is most equipped to handle this situation right now."

"Then handle it by giving him what he wants and surrendering us to our fate." He left her with one last look that contained pain enough for a thousand years. She may have saved his life, but she'd broken his spirit. Thor stood with an audible groan and shuffled toward the back of his cell. He propped himself against the wall and focused his attention on the table next to him.

Jane stood as well. Was he seriously the one angry at her for saving his life? Couldn't he see how this wasn't an easy decision to live with? She was hurting too, and he couldn't leave her to suffer that alone. She was so angry that she wanted to throw something. Heck, with their strength at somewhat more equal levels, she might actually be able to make it hurt. "How can you just give up? How can you accept whatever Loki has planned?" He was supposed to be the superhero who saved the universe with his equally heroic friends. How could he stop the fight just because he lacked his godly strength? "I'm not going to stop fighting." Thor continued to ignore her, so Jane turned on her heel and sprinted from the dungeons.

She finally slowed when she reached one of the many palace gardens that bordered a shimmering lake. Flinging herself on a bench, she allowed the waves of sorrow and anger to wash over her like the tide, ebbing and flowing as she searched for peace. It took some time for her breathing to even out, but in the evenness she found a shard of clarity: _I will be my own savior_ _._

Her best hope would be establishing some form of communication with Earth. Since there seemed to be no one for Loki to keep an eye on but her, it was highly unlikely that she could perform research on creating a communication device undetected. Getting Loki to take her to Earth himself appeared similarly impossible. The only alternative left would be sending someone else to Earth. Given Loki's burning resentment for his brother, it might be possible to convince him to send Thor from the planet, but could she guarantee that Loki would send him to Earth and not to a freezing death on Jotunheim? Did Loki even have sufficient powers to send someone between realms?

Her planning was put to rest when the warm tingle of magic spread across her skin once more and she was back in Loki's chambers. He'd summoned her directly to the bed, but he stood across the room, peering over another of her lists on the drawing table. "Have a nice chat?"

She wanted to slap him. Loki obviously knew the state Thor was in. Whether he had sent her to Thor in order to dangle his prize in front of his brother or if he anticipated that Thor's lack of heroism would leave Jane deflated, Loki had gotten what he wanted from the exchange. But no matter how enraged she felt, revealing her emotions to Loki would only be another weakness he could leverage against her.

Thor's warning echoed through her mind, but Jane felt a plan forming. Loki may have a few centuries' of experience on her, but she could still enter his game.

Resolved on what to do, she answered him at last. "Hmph. No."

Loki looked positively delighted as he turned and made his way closer. "You mean to tell me the golden god of arrogance is actually fallible? Preposterous!" His eyebrows danced in a way that revealed his supreme enjoyment of this topic. "What slight has he incurred against the fair lady?"

 _Tell him what he wants to hear._ "Being a complete and utter stubborn blockhead."

"Ah, a complaint I have heard from many of Thor's lovers. Although, come to think of it, Sif never seemed to mind."

Jane's stomach knotted at Loki's words. _Great, just what I need right now._ "You mean, Thor and Sif were actually…?"

Loki spun a chair around and sat facing her, resting his arms lazily over its back. "Yes, but that was centuries ago. I'm sure they've both long forgotten the entire affair." The pointed flash of his eyes was a dagger in her heart.

Jane scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Care to hear the other grievances from Thor's trail of jilted lovers?"

Did she? Probably not, but it was a strategic move. Anything to make Loki feel like he was winning her over. "Go on." Jane curled up her knees to her chin like a child preparing for a bedtime story.

"Ah, where to begin?" Even though he posed the question, it was clear Loki knew exactly which tale to start with. "In his early years, when he was first learning to control his abilities, Thor found himself with the unusual trouble of conjuring the forces of nature whenever he felt strong emotions."

"Yeah, I've seen that firsthand," Jane said, thinking of the rain storm Thor had thundered upon Darcy and those unwitting police officers back in London.

"Be grateful that you did not experience it quite like the young tavern wench Thor found himself with one evening. When he, ahem, reached his peak," Loki added a spectacular raise of his eyebrows for emphasis, "he inadvertently summoned a lightning bolt and nearly electrocuted the poor girl."

"No!" Jane's mouth flew open as she imagined the shocked look on both of the lovers' faces.

"Oh, she survived, but Thor and his drinking companions were forced to find a new establishment for their revelry." He eyed her thoughtfully for a moment. "Come. We'll need wine if you are to sit through any more of these tales."

 _Wine sounds absolutely perfect right about now._ She stood and followed Loki into one of the smaller chambers off of the main bedroom. As she did, he slid his hand around her waist and let it rest at the small of her back. She should hate this feeling. She should push him away. It was impossible to tell if this was simply a possessive gesture, or if he was responding to her act, but she remained in his grasp on the chance it was working for her benefit. Even as she rationalized the move, she let herself bask in the warmth spreading from the point of contact. She even let herself indulge for a brief moment in the memory of the rapture she'd felt under his touch that morning. _Okay, close the lid on that now,_ she chided herself.

Loki kept her close while he poured a large goblet for each of them. As he turned to seat them on cushions before a grand fireplace, Jane downed three quarters of her glass. He took note, but said nothing as Jane refilled her cup and sat herself near him.

"Have you heard of the time that Thor left behind a very dejected young man from Vanaheim?"

Jane cocked an eyebrow at this. "Young man? That's really not Thor's type…"

"Precisely." Loki sipped his wine through a wicked grin. "The gentleman in question had been flirting with Thor quite heavily all evening, but needless to say our god of thunder was not so keen on picking up the signals."

"Tell me about it." She took another large gulp of wine.

Her comment earned another wicked grin from Loki. "Instead of politely declining the young man's advances, Thor was overjoyed to have such a friendly new companion."

"How far did it go?" The wine was beginning to soften Jane's senses, and she was intensely curious about what manner of trouble her oaf had gotten himself into.

Loki was practically beaming now. "When this friendly young gent invited Thor back to his room for a drink, of course the blonde buffoon agreed." Jane had to stifle her giggle so that Loki could continue. "When the young man took off his shirt, Thor assumed he was too warm. It wasn't until this half-naked fellow attempted to kiss Thor that he finally got the message."

Jane couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of her. She could picture Thor getting himself into this kind of mess only too clearly. _It feels good to laugh_ , she noted dreamily.

Over several more cups of wine, she made Loki recount more of Thor's most notorious failed attempts at romance, including a story she particularly liked about Thor forgetting his lover was still abed and summoning mjolnir, only to have it crash into her as it flew to him from across the room. _Thank god she was Asgardian. I probably would've died from such a blow._ The thought of it really didn't faze her at the moment. In fact, Jane realized how detached she felt from all of these stories. _Shouldn't hearing about all these past conquests make me jealous?_ Somewhere in her wine glass Jane had lost the distinction between playing the frustrated lover and feeling that way herself. Still, these tales did little to stir her emotions. _Maybe it's just the wine. Speaking of which..._

After Jane had refilled her glass for the...fifth? sixth? time, she plopped down back on the cushions next to Loki. Who would have thought she'd be enjoying his company so much? There was a voice somewhere in her nagging her that she was supposed to be really, really mad at him right now, but she couldn't remember why. "So, Loki," she giggled as she thought about her next question, "What about you? Any botched romances?"

"Not in the way you might expect." That grin only fanned the flames of her curiosity.

"Tell me!" she giggled.

"I can't say I've received many complaints as far as my personal prowess is concerned." The look he gave her turned her insides to jelly. "But I have been known to surprise a few women with my skill. Particularly when I do so under the disguise of their lovers."

"Oh my god!" Jane exclaimed, nearly spilling her wine as she waved her hands in the air. "And then they totally freaked out when they found out it was you?" She laughed hysterically.

"Finally a woman who appreciates my sense of mischief."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I'd be mega pissed if you did that to me." She sipped her wine a minute more as she considered. "Actually, pff, I wouldn't fall for it." She laughed again, but there was little humor behind it. "Thor wasn't very good." Her words came out harsher than she had intended, but she waved the thought away. _Whatever. He knows what I mean._

Her wine glass was removed from her hand, and suddenly she was on her back, Loki hovering over her. She moaned lightly at the proximity, not worried about revealing just how much she enjoyed this position. "Then perhaps what you need, is someone who understands how to satisfy you."

One moment his lips were hovering over hers, and the next they were on hers in the most passionate embrace she had ever known. Slowly, he applied pressure, deepening the kiss and tracing his hand over her skin. As her lips parted slightly, he slid his tongue into her mouth, gliding along hers and drawing another soft moan from her lips. Jane reached up to pull his head closer to hers, elongating the contact. All too soon he was pulling away, breaking the contact and hovering over her again.

Jane's chest was heaving, desire coursing through every ounce of her blood. She needed him. "Loki," her voice was heavy with wanting. "Take me, please." The words were thick on her tongue, but she needed to say them. Surrendering herself to him had never felt so easy. In that moment, she would do anything to give herself to him, to have this incredible hole ripping open inside of her filled by his presence, if only for a fleeting instant.

To her surprise he maintained his distance with a hard glint in his eyes. Jane was perplexed. _He looks really, really mad._

"Remember, Jane - not that kind of monster."

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 **A/N:** So nice-guy Loki makes a brief appearance! Don't worry, he's always up to something ;) Hope you all enjoyed, and leave some feedback to let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Once again, thank you for reading this chapter. I quite enjoyed this one as well, and I hope you like it, too! Prepare for kinks ahead, including a bit of voyeurism. Happy reading ;)

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A freight train was rattling through Jane's skull. Maybe it was actually a giant space ship with rocket blasters running at full throttle. Maybe it was Loki, crawled inside of her brain and actually pulling her apart from the inside out.

Loki. _Shit._

Memories of the previous night came in like a leaky faucet, first drop by drop, then a torrential flood of her shame and humiliation. She'd kissed him. _Fuck._ No, wait, had he kissed her? Jane groaned and tried to sit up, sending the world spinning around her. With a whimper, she dropped back to the bed and squeezed her eyes shut. _Bed?_ She reached out her hands and felt around. _Yep. I'm in a bed._ She cracked one eye open just enough to peek at her surroundings. _Yep. Loki's bed. I'm double fucked._ She spent the next several moments reliving the horrifying details from the night before. What had possessed her to think that she could play the hurt girlfriend act without actually getting caught up in her own game? _Is that what happened?_ Try as she might, Jane still couldn't piece together exactly how she'd wound up under Loki, actually kissing him. How she'd…. _Oh my god. Did I actually try to get him to have sex with me?_ At that moment, she would have done anything to evaporate into the air and simply float away.

 _Wait, we didn't-?_ She ran a hand down her body, sighing with audible relief to find herself still clothed. _Maybe there actually is a shred of decency in there somewhere._

"You're awake."

 _Nope. A decent person would leave me alone. He's a contemptible fiend._ She made some muffled attempt at replying, but it came out as garbled nonsense.

"Hm." A single note ripe with disapproval, ready to drop some form of cruel punishment on her.

Before Jane could begin to speculate what torture she may be in for, she was overcome with the sensation of magic washing over her. As it faded, she felt lifted from her fog. The throbbing in her head had ceased and the growing nausea she had felt was nowhere to be found. _Did Loki just cure my hangover?_ Confused, she sat up and found Loki staring at her intently from across the room. She shifted awkwardly, unsure of how to respond to a kind action from him. "Thank you," she said at last.

He stared at her for a beat longer, then was gone in a flash of green light.

* * *

Rather than teleport himself directly to his captive, Loki took a chance to stretch his legs and bask in the morning light of his dominion. As he neared one of the palace gardens, he noted a patch of white flowers with purple stems rising above the surrounding shrubbery. _Frigga's favorite._ He stifled the twinge of emotions that rose in him whenever he thought of her, but he could not stop the flood of memories from pouring forth. Frigga's laughter, her smile when he would show her a new spell he'd learned, her soothing voice as she would tell the brothers stories before bed. Her selflessness. _A weakness that cost her her life._ He walked closer to the flowers, cupping one in the palm of his hand. "Look at me now, mother," he whispered to the air, "all of Asgard bent to my will. Fulfilling my destiny of being a king." He imagined her smile of warm pride at all he had done for Asgard, becoming the benevolent ruler she'd always dreamed her son could be.

Yet even as he envisioned all of this, somewhere inside of himself he could hear Frigga's voice, colored with disapproval and admonishing him for disrupting the flow of life in the realm. "No!" The flower crumpled in his grip as his voice rang out over the palace grounds. "You'll see," he whispered as he dropped the now limp petals.

Though the grounds were empty, he turned his head, checking to see if someone had noticed his outburst. _He's not here. I would have sensed it._ With schooled practice, Loki shifted his features into a maddened grin perfect for masking his inner turmoil. Without a backward glance, he left the garden behind him and strode quickly toward his destination.

For the remainder of his walk to the dungeons, he turned his thoughts instead to the task at hand. True victory over his brother was so close he could nearly reach out and grasp it. Centuries of plotting, weaving lies and illusions, and the perfect demise for Thor had come to him and handed herself over on a silver platter. Loki smiled again at the mortal's foolishness. She actually thought she was helping her prince. _Oh, my little toy, you are just the weapon I've always needed._

He groaned in pleasure as snippets of what he had been able to make her do flashed through his mind. He thought of her gasping breaths as she followed his orders to touch herself, the flush spreading across her flesh as he had slipped his fingers into her tight little cunt. He imagined the feel of her tongue swirling against his shaft as she took him into her mouth. The last image was so pleasant that he thought of returning to his chambers to make her do it again before he dealt with his brother. At the last moment he decided against it, but allowed himself to relish in the feeling for an instant longer.

Loki wasn't entirely sure what he had expected from Thor's little mortal when she'd made her offer, perhaps a pliable but empty promise? He'd anticipated using her for his pleasure and setting her aside, but there was something in her that made the experience far more enjoyable. _She has a certain fire,_ he mused as he thought of the defiant little glares she would send his way. Try as she might to deny it, she was enjoying the delicious torture he forced on her and that only exacerbated his fiendish desires. _Perhaps when I've disposed of Thor, I may even keep her as my personal plaything._ He smiled again, sure that Thor would be delighted to hear of this decision.

Loki strolled through the dungeon, practically floating from the sense of victory coursing through him. He arrived at the cage containing his foolish brother and delighted in the exquisite expression of sorrow hovering like a shadow over every inch of Thor's presence. "Oh, do cheer up, brother. It really is a lovely morning."

Thor did not turn his eyes to Loki, but remained on the floor of his cell, back resting on the corner furthest from the golden barrier. "You sent Jane to see me."

 _So very clever, Thor. Did that take you all night to realize?_ "I thought a visit from your beloved might bring a smile to your face."

When Thor finally met Loki's gaze, Loki was surprised to find a spark of anger there. It was an ember barely burning, but it brought some life to his withering form. "You hurt her."

Loki chuckled. "Certainly not." He gave a sly smile as images of Jane moaning in his arms came forth once more. "If her cries of ecstasy were any indication, I'd say she found my treatment quite to her liking." The unmasked hurt spreading through Thor's expression spurred Loki further. He stalked to the very edge of the golden bars, imposing his presence on Thor like a hunter cornering its wounded prey. "She really does have quite the talented tongue. She enjoyed sliding it along my length so much that she wouldn't stop until I-"

"Enough. I won't believe your lies, Loki." Thor's words were barely a whisper, but they held a strength Loki had thought permanently gone from the newly made mortal.

 _It's quite precious how he is so reinvigorated by the flames of love,_ Loki mused mockingly.

"I will fight for her."

Loki couldn't help but smile at his brother's attempt at heroism. "Are you really so sure that she wants you to avenge her? I assure you she's very satisfied with the current arrangement."

Thor was grinding his teeth, full of anger but lacking the strength to act on it. "End this charade, Loki. It's me you want, not her. Fight me, kill me if you must, but let Jane go."

"Oh that may have been the case when you two first arrived. However, Jane is such a delightfully compliant creature with just enough spark to really make things exciting." He shot his prisoner a look filled with wicked glee. "In fact, I enjoy her talents so much, I think I'll keep her. You're still more than welcome to die for her if it will ease your conscience."

Under normal circumstances, Thor would have gone bestial with violence, letting his anger take over all rational thought. Loki could see him dying to relieve his frustration by smashing something with that clunky hammer of his. Thor stood, anger inflating some of the self that mortality had stripped away. He lumbered toward the front of the cage, hands balled in tight fists. He seethed at Loki, but said nothing.

 _Riling him up is such spectacular fun._ "No need to get so worked up. All this trouble ends tonight." Loki began to walk away, but paused and turned to his brother with one last mischievous glare. "On second thought, you may not like the outcome."

Thor's cry of fury reverberated off of the dungeon walls as Loki vanished.

* * *

Without knowing how much alone time she would have, Jane decided to take a dip in the bath. Loki may have relieved her headache, but her thoughts were a tangled mess. She couldn't seem to wrap her mind around Loki's shift in demeanor. Sure she'd seen him snap from lusty to angry to demanding, but this sudden streak of kindness was unprecedented. _He could have just let me suffer this morning as a punishment for being so foolish last night._ She mentally kicked herself for the millionth time when she recalled the proposition she'd made him, but at least he had shown enough basic decency not to take advantage. _Still, there has to be some ulterior motive…_

She wrestled with the idea for more time than she would care to admit, but still could not pinpoint any plan that made sense to her. By all appearances, it seemed that Loki was being nice to her simply because he could, and it frustrated her to no end. It was easy to hold onto her anger towards him when he was making a show of power, but his most recent actions left her with a lot of gray area. It was hard to hate him for telling her amusing stories or for making sure she wasn't sick. Harder still to hate him for that kiss.

Jane wasn't quite sure how to find the words to describe that particular moment. Yes, it had been heated and intoxicating, but there had been a certain undercurrent that was something beyond lust. It was different than when she kissed Thor. Those kisses were sweet and tender, but kissing Loki had sent a spark through her that had lit every nerve ending in her body on fire.

 _Wait, wait, wait. What?_ _There is no way that I'm thinking this about Loki._ Jane sank lower in the water, massaging her temples. _Remember, he's a monster, he said so himself._ Still, at least part of her wanted to believe that his kindness had been genuine. _No, you just don't want to feel so guilty about wanting a piece of that dick._ She laughed aloud, realizing that the voice in her head was starting to sound a lot like Darcy.

"Oh my god, I think I'm actually losing my mind."

She plunged under the water, allowing it to block her senses for a few moments. When she emerged, a new idea had formed. Maybe she could explore her desires without giving Loki the satisfaction of seeing her squirm.

Jane closed her eyes and thought about the kiss again, remembering how his lips had pressed against hers, how his tongue had slid into her mouth. She could feel her breathing hitch as she imagined pressing her lips back against his and running her hands through his hair. She trailed her fingers down her body, remembering the feel of his touch on her skin and the way the lust in his eyes sent shockwaves to her core. She imagined his clothes dropping to the floor to reveal his hardened muscles and waiting arousal. As she began to circle her fingers around her clit, she thought of his velvety smooth skin in her hand when she gripped him and the moans he released at the feel of her touch. She imagined pulling him to her, guiding him to her entrance, and the exquisite fullness of him sliding inside of her. She wanted to dig her fingers into his body as he slid in and out of her, moaning her name like a prayer. She could almost hear his voice, ordering her to come, and she cried out as her pleasure built.

"I see you are enjoying yourself."

Jane froze. _No, no, no, no, no._

"Open your eyes." It was an order.

She slid her eyes open slowly as she peeled her hands from her body. Loki was perched on the opposite end of the tub, dangling a bare foot into the water. He wore a deep green robe with nothing else beneath it. Jane quickly looked away. She could already feel her face burning and couldn't dare to meet his eyes. _How the hell does he keep doing this?_

"Get out of the bath."

 _Damn him._ Heart thudding with a sense of deja vu, she climbed out of the water and began stalking off to his bedroom.

"Stop."

The low tone of his voice halted her movements. In a single word, he had sent her pulse racing. _What the hell is he planning?_ She made no move to turn around, waiting instead for whatever he would surely order her to do.

She could hear the smile creeping into his voice. "Walk to the pillar."

Jane turned around to see where Loki was indicating. At the border between the room and the open veranda stood a round, marble pillar supporting the curved arches of the ceiling. She began to move toward it when his voice halted her once more. "Slower."

She proceeded again, this time at a pace that would make crossing the room an eternity. She didn't have to look at Loki to feel his eyes hungrily drinking in the sight of her curves. With each step, Jane could feel the blush spreading over her skin, every part of her body heating under Loki's gaze. She hated him for torturing her like this. _You just keep thinkin' that,_ the Darcy-like voice in her mind teased. Her pulse continued to pound rapidfire, but this time with a mix of emotions. She was both tantalized and terrified by what was to come.

When she reached the pillar at last, she turned expectantly towards Loki. He stood and began to move toward her with a fluid grace reserved exclusively for the gods. She fought to keep her eyes trained on his face, making note of the way his jaw jutted forward below his arrogant smirk. Still, she couldn't resist a glance or two at the muscles working beneath his flesh or at exactly how little was hidden beneath his robe.

In typical Loki fashion, he stopped only when he was all but pressed against her, close enough that she could feel his body heat washing over every inch of her exposed flesh. He leaned closer still, placing his mouth directly next to her ear. His words were low and sharp. "Do you understand, Jane, that by virtue of this arrangement, I own your pleasure? I own you."

She gasped slightly at the intensity of his voice. "Yes," she breathed.

"Then explain to me exactly what you thought you were doing."

Jane rushed to think of excuses, but Loki's proximity was making all rational thought a challenge. Every time she tried to think of how to placate the seething sorcerer, she was distracted by the feel of his breath against her skin or the millimeter of space between them denying her the contact she was craving. "I'm sorry," she said at last, when she could think of nothing else that might satisfy him.

He chuckled darkly and raked his teeth against the sensitive skin below her ear. "Oh, not yet. But you will be."

Loki pulled back slightly, staring deeply within Jane's eyes. She was entranced by his emerald gaze, unable to look away or even breathe. He brought a hand to her face, delicately stroking her from temple to chin, then slowly down the curve of her neck, inching ever closer to her breasts. Jane felt her eyes flutter closed as she basked in the trail of fire left by Loki's touch. She couldn't think of resisting, wanting nothing more than to fade into this pleasurable feeling.

In the next instant, Loki pinned both of her wrists in his, pulling them around the back of the pillar. Before Jane could even blink, Loki had both of them bound tightly in what felt like metal cuffs. He pulled back, examining his work.

Jane's breath caught in her throat with the shock of the sudden shift in events. She was bound so tightly that she could barely move. She was completely at Loki's mercy, and he'd proven not to be merciful in the least.

He released a low moan at the sight of her. "Mm, you look simply delectable like this." Another smirk played across his face. "Completely defenseless," he growled as he ran his fingertips over her breasts. Jane cried out as he squeezed one of her hardened nipples.

A surge of wetness was beginning to build in her core from even that simple touch, but her mind still raced with fear. _What the hell is he going to do with me?_

With a firm pull, Loki slid Jane's legs into a wider stance, leaving her center exposed to his sight. His fingers danced up one thigh, then the other, forever teasing but never delivering any real pleasure. Jane squirmed in his touch, craving more by the second. He increased his torture, passing so close to her aching core that Jane cried out in desperation. At last he acquiesced, locking his gaze on hers while he slid a single finger over her swollen clit and into her deep wetness. "Fuck, you're wet," he moaned as he slowly withdrew his finger. He slid the digit into his mouth, slowly sucking off the juices.

Jane whimpered at the sight of him savoring her taste. She could feel the hollow between her thighs spasming with need. Loki caught her heated stare and brought himself a hair's width away from her again. His hands grazed her hips in small circles that sent jolts of white-hot desire throughout her body. "Do you like this, Jane?"

"Mmm," she moaned. She didn't know if he was referring to the feeling of his touch, the heat against her thigh where his erection pressed against her, or the delicious tightness she felt each time she squirmed against her bindings. She didn't care. She wanted more.

He set his lips in a satisfied smile. Moving at what felt to Jane like a snail's pace, he slid one hand lower from her hips until it was deep between her thighs, fingers hovering just over her entrance. "Do you want me to touch you?"

His question sent a fresh blush across her face and a line of fire to the space his fingers hovered over. She thought about avoiding the question, but Loki raised her chin so that her eyes met his. A single glance and she was trapped. "Yes."

He tightened his grip, tilting her chin a bit further. "Beg me."

The low tone of his voice caused her breath to catch in her throat, but the desire coursing through her urged her to obey. "Please," she panted, "touch me." An animalistic growl tore its way from her throat as Loki's two fingers slid in to fill her void. He alternated between plunging them firmly into her depths and moving them in small circles around her walls, both of which caused her to cry out in agonizing moans. He still held her chin in his hand, and the look in his eyes was so intense that Jane thought he might kiss her again.

"Tell me what you thought of as you pleasured yourself," he whispered darkly.

The last bit of sanity she was clinging to pleaded for Jane to say nothing, but the waves of pleasure brought on by Loki's nimble fingers pulled the answer from her, regardless. "You." Her response was merely a whisper, but it hit Loki with the force of a bullet. There was barely enough time for Jane to register a look of surprise on his features, and then he was on her, lips crashing against hers in a hungry embrace. Jane pulled against her restraints to deepen the kiss, moaning loudly as Loki pulled her head toward his and the cuffs dug at her wrists. He slid his tongue into her mouth gliding it against hers in time to his fingers circling her walls. He pressed his lips to hers for what could have been seconds or hours, and then he was gone.

Jane was gasping, her entire body quivering from the remaining pleasure of his all-consuming touch. Loki stood several feet back, two fingers pressed against his swollen lips and a wild look in his eyes. She watched as his expression slowly shifted back to the wicked glee that usually decorated his features. While he maintained the appearance of calm, Jane was anything but. Her heart thundered on, and her legs were jelly, barely able to support her weight.

Loki chuckled in his sinister delight. "Ah, so eager, Ms. Foster. Sorry to have to keep you waiting until tonight, but I suppose I can leave you with a preview of what's to come."

As he turned to walk away, Jane was awash with confusion. _What? How can he-? He's leaving? Preview of-?_ She tried to find the words to call out to him, but couldn't seem to make the muscles of her mouth cooperate. Just as she began to lean back against the pillar in complete frustration, a green sphere of light appeared just in front of her. _What now?_

Jane let out a slight screech as the orb took a familiar shape. It was a copy of her, completely naked. She stared at the figure in scientific wonder, marveling at how Loki had crafted it in her exact image. And then the figure was no longer alone. Standing next to it was a copy of Loki, equally naked.

And suddenly it clicked. _A preview._

Jane watched partly in shock and partly in fascination as the fake Loki made his way closer to the copy of herself. He grabbed her from behind, pulling her tightly against his front. The fake Jane's lips parted in pleasure, and her eyes drifted shut as Loki put his lips to her neck. The copy of herself seemed to be truly enjoying this treatment, as she wrapped one hand up behind her to fist in Loki's hair and the other around his hips to pull him even tighter.

The real Jane was surprised to find a fresh wave of wetness surging toward her center. It felt wrong to watch such an intimate moment, but there was also something incredibly thrilling about this being Loki's imagination played out for her to see. She'd already pictured this once in her mind, perhaps it was time to see how it looked in his.

She continued to look on as the Loki duplicate spun his partner around and forced her to her knees. She greedily took him into her mouth and he fisted both hands in her hair, pulling her closer. On her pillar, Jane felt her insides churning with need. _So this is what it looked like when I tasted him._ The mix of lust and pleasure in the fake Loki's eyes was nearly enough for Jane to cry out.

After several long moments, Jane's duplicate pulled herself away from the copy and looked up at him with eyes carrying the same desire the real Jane was increasingly feeling. Sensing her wishes, Loki's double roughly pushed his partner forward, forcing her to her hands and knees. He came behind her, stroking his erect length and panting in expectation. He lined himself up behind the kneeling Jane who moaned as he pressed against her heated center.

Jane felt a pool of wetness growing between her legs. Her heart was beating quicker in anticipation. There was nothing she could do but watch.

In one quick snap of his hips, the image of Loki plunged himself into his Jane as deep as he could go. Jane heard her own voice cry out in pleasure, but could not distinguish if it came from her or the replica. The action between the partners was desperate and relentless, Loki digging into Jane's hips as he pulled her against him in an ever-increasing rhythm. When he commanded his partner to touch herself, the real Jane strained against her cuffs while the copy quickly obliged.

Jane looked on in hopeless desperation, lost in the cries of pleasure from the duplicate pair. She wanted this. She wanted the real Loki inside of her, filling her and pounding away like she was watching the copy do now. "I'm coming." It was her voice, rising out of the duplicate and dripping with ecstasy. After several more powerful thrusts, she watched as both partners cried out, trembling as they met their release together.

The pair faded from view and suddenly Jane was left alone. Her heart was still racing, and she was flooded with a desire more desperate than she had ever known. She slumped against the pillar, dropping slightly as her legs trembled. Her breathing eventually slowed, and her pulse reached normal levels, but there was something new rooted in her that would not go away. She was done fighting. Her resistance was gone and there would be no more calling it back.

"You win," she said to the empty air.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hehe, sorry to be such a tease, but I'm ramping up to something good ;) I promise you'll be rewarded if you stick around to see the result. As always, let me know what you think! Your words are truly my motivation.

I also wanted to take another chance to thank everyone who has read this story. I'm very grateful for and excited about all the positive feedback this story has been receiving. I look forward to continuing this fic, and am so glad all of you are along for the ride!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Hey there! Back again after a bit of time away from this story. Enjoy!

* * *

As if pronouncing his victory was the key to her metal bindings, Jane felt the cuffs disappear from her wrists. She brought her hands in front of her, gently massaging where the metal had rubbed against her skin. She stood slowly, gripping the pillar for support as her still-wobbly legs threatened to give out on her. A shiver ran over her damp skin, but she could not yet force herself to walk toward the bedroom.

Each step she took away from this pillar would be exiting the world of what if, and plunging deeper and deeper into the world of when. How could it be that just yesterday she had challenged Loki that she would never submit to him, and now she knew her fate was sealed? She couldn't resist him. The scariest part was that she no longer wanted to. Her temper flared again as she thought of the cocky smirk probably dusting his lips in this instant. He knew he had won, and now he was just waiting for his little toy to come running into his arms.

 _Maybe I'll just stay right here until he drags me out of the room himself,_ she pondered stubbornly. The thought was childish, and she knew it. Even if she hid here all day, Loki would summon her to him whenever he was ready to claim his prize, and whatever form that took would surely involve a lot of begging and embarrassment on her part. Maybe if she faced this head-on, she would be able to meet him on her terms. Maybe.

At last she let go of her marble support and strode toward the bedroom, still in no great rush to watch Loki gloat. When she reached the doorway to his chambers, she was surprised to find them empty. Walking carefully into the room, Jane inspected the far corners of the chamber for signs of life, but found none. Either Loki was gone, or he was disguising his appearance. She supposed it really didn't make a difference either way. Jane shrugged on Loki's robe lying draped across a chair when a piece of parchment on the desk caught her eye. The script was long and elegant, with the end of each character curling into a delicate point.

She picked up the note to read it more closely:

 _My dearest Jane,_

 _I hope the preview was quite to your liking. I assure you that and much more awaits you once you let those few words drop from your lips. Let me show you the heights of pleasure you never dreamed were possible._

 _In the meantime, you will dine with me tonight. You will wear the attire I have left for you and only that attire. I shall summon you directly when we are to begin._

 _You may explore the grounds at your leisure._

The note was left unsigned, but there was no doubt who had written it. She scanned the lines again, brain whirring as she attempted to process each piece. ' _My dearest Jane'_? When had Loki ever shown her affection? And since when did he think she would really believe this whole arrangement was about offering her pleasure? This whole thing was a power play for him, and maybe this note was just another pawn in that game. Still, a slight shiver coursed through her when she realized he would probably make good on those words.

However, it was the last line that really drew her attention. She was free to leave his chambers, free to explore the palace and beyond. _Free to escape._ She held onto the thought for a precious moment before letting it go. There was no escape. At least not yet, anyway. But as absurd - and possibly ironic - as the note was, its meaning was clear: Loki was granting her a small shred of freedom. She would take it.

Jane dressed as fast as possible, pointedly ignoring the dress lying across the bed. She would deal with his dining plans later, but now she needed to escape this room. Judging by the position of the sun, it was early afternoon and she would have a few hours to herself before Loki magicked her away. She would probably have enough time to come back to the room and change. And if not, she would just endure his punishment. Normally that thought would have caused her to pause and reconsider her plans, but the glowing allure of freedom was too bright and it blocked out any concerns about Loki's temper.

Moments after she was dressed, she flew from the room, nearly toppling down the staircase that led to his chambers in her extreme haste. Her brush with serious injury caused her to slow down ever so slightly as she glided through the marble halls. Just the feeling of being able to freely roam the palace was enough to make her want to twirl and laugh with joy. Out here, Loki's presence felt less oppressive, and Jane herself felt less like a fish being slowly reeled into her doom. Here she could breathe, marvel at the natural beauty of Asgard, and even pretend for the fleetingest of moments that everything was back to normal.

Basking in the full glory of this small freedom, Jane began to run without a thought for where she might be headed. She sprinted through vast halls, along twisting corridors and around dark corners. She finally stopped when she ran out of breath, leaning against the nearest pillar and sinking into the warm feeling of physical exhaustion. The sound of footsteps a moment later startled her out of her reverie.

Jane looked up, expecting to see that Loki was here to impose himself on her alone time, or to mock her for running around, but was met with an entirely different surprise.

"Sif?" Jane gasped aloud.

Jane couldn't believe there was someone else wandering the grounds, even if it was Sif. She couldn't say she hated the woman, but they were far from best friends. Maybe the warrior had heard about what Jane was doing with Loki, because she held her face still and continued forward, ignoring Jane.

"Sif!" Jane called a little louder, turning to catch up with the woman's long strides. Still receiving the cold shoulder, Jane tried another tactic. She reached out to grab Sif by the arm as she called her name again.

Sif's head snapped toward her, but there was nothing but a blank expression on her face. She grasped Jane's arm tightly between her fingers and effortlessly flung it so far that it spun Jane around. Even if Sif was mortal, she was still a warrior, and the bruise Jane felt forming was proof of that.

 _Okay, so maybe she's really pissed. I know she loved Thor, and probably still does. Maybe she thinks I've betrayed her?_ Jane raced up to Sif again, desperate to explain herself. "Sif, look," Jane sighed as Sif continued her quick pace. "I'm sorry, ok? I didn't do this to hurt Thor, I did it to save him. You have to believe me." Nothing she said seemed to gain Sif's interest. _Damn this woman is stubborn._ Jane tried again, jogging so that she was slightly in front of the the stone-faced woman, but Sif wouldn't even make eye contact with her.

 _What the hell? She doesn't even want to rub it in my face how this is proof that Thor should be with his own kind? I would expect at least that much venom from her, if not more._ Jane studied Sif for a few more strides, noting that the woman barely blinked and kept a perfectly even pace. The human tried waving her hand in front of the warrior's face, but Sif didn't even blink. Jane tried a few more times, even snapping her fingers right before Sif's eyes, but nothing could provoke a response.

And then Jane saw it. On the middle finger of Sif's right hand was a golden ring with a large glowing emerald in the middle. Even as they rounded a darker corner, the emerald seemed to give off an internal light that reflected on Sif's bronzed skin. _Of course this is Loki's work._ Whatever magic Loki had worked on the ring was clearly responsible for the zombified Sif roaming the halls. While she wasn't a major fan of Sif, Jane couldn't stand to see someone so strong deprived of their free will. She kept pace with the warrior, trying to time her reach to the swing of Sif's arm. If she could get the ring off in one fluid motion, she would risk avoiding any more of Sif's terrifying warrior strength.

 _One, two, three!_ Jane reached for the ring, only grabbing it halfway off of Sif's finger. _Uh-oh._ Without even a glance, Sif grabbed Jane by the wrist and flipped her over to land hard on her back. Jane stayed down, groaning in pain.

"Jane?"

Jane looked up to see Sif blinking in confusion, the ring on the ground a few inches away from where Jane fell. Sif quickly extended a hand and helped to set Jane back on her feet.

"What are you doing here?" the lady warrior asked, eyeing Jane with a hint of suspicion.

"How much do you remember about what's going on right now?" She tried to hide the wince as she straightened her spine. _Damn, that really hurt._

Sif paused for a moment, and Jane could slowly see memories returning to her. Suddenly her eyes were wide, and she was grabbing Jane by the arm, ready to run. "Come! We have to leave, now! If we can make it to Heimdall-"

Jane stopped herself from being tugged along. "Sif, it's too late. He's already won." She had to stop herself from saying, _He's already won me._ "Everyone except for him is mortal."

Sif was outraged, and then confused. "What am I doing here?"

Careful not to let it slip over her finger, Jane picked up the ring and handed it to Sif. "I think Loki had you on autopilot with one of these."

She accepted the ring, but was still apprehensive. "What is your purpose in all of this?" The look she gave Jane said that she could presume the human's purpose quite easily.

"I made an arrangement with Loki." She could barely look Sif in the eye as she said it.

"What sort of arrangement?"

Jane looked around for somewhere to sit, and motioned for Sif to follow her to the nearest bench. The two took a seat on a stone slab overlooking the whole of the city. It was much harder to admit what she had done - what she was doing - to Sif. Jane had hoped that Thor would understand since she'd stepped in to save his life, but Sif... She sighed, deciding Sif should know the truth anyway. "I agreed to give myself to Loki, in exchange for him sparing Thor's life." Out of the corner of her eye, Jane thought she could see a smug smile settle on Sif's face in a look that screamed 'I told Thor he could do better.' Before the woman could judge her more, Jane spoke again. "But I have a plan, or at least the beginning of one, anyway." She glanced around quickly to make sure Loki wasn't in sight. Not that it would stop him from invisibly eavesdropping, she realized. "I think I can stop Loki."

Sif scoffed. "You may be headstrong, Jane, but there is little you could hope to do that the strongest army in the nine realms could not do before you. We all fought him, and he turned each of us mortal in an instant." Sif turned to look at Jane, real concern in her eyes. "I've never seen such power. If you make an attempt on him, you will be hurt. He will make you beg for death."

Jane shuddered at the thought. She knew everything that Sif said was true, but she was having an increasingly difficult time reconciling that behavior with the Loki who she had seen the last few days. Could the same man who promised her pleasure beyond her imagination also be the beast that destroyed his kingdom? Suddenly, she realized she needed Sif to confirm what Loki had quickly dismissed. "Did he," she fumbled for the right words, "kill…. a lot of people when it all started?"

Sif pondered the question for a moment. "No. Actually, I don't think anyone died. Many serious injuries to be sure, but…" she trailed off in thought.

The human felt herself sigh with relief. Somehow it made it easier to stomach her bargain when she knew Loki hadn't slaughtered everyone in the realm. "What did he do with them?"

After a few moments, Sif responded. "I don't know. I remember charging at Loki during the second wave of attacks. I was mortal by then, but I wouldn't let that stop me. And now… I'm here. I can't say for the life of me what has happened since." She turned to Jane again, clearly puzzled. "How long has it been?"

"About a week. I'm pretty sure Thor and I arrived at the tail end of Loki's attack." Jane noticed the way Sif's breath caught when Thor came up. "He's okay," she said, gently patting Sif's knee. "He's pretty banged up, but he'll be alright. Loki has him in the dungeons right now."

For a moment, Sif looked vulnerable. She looked just like any other heartbroken girl Jane had known on Earth. She looked like Jane after Thor had vanished out of New Mexico and back into the sky.

"I'm going to try sending Thor back to Earth." The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she even finished forming her thought. "I want to send you with him, to make sure that he's okay." _Meaning I will be staying here._

"How are you planning to manage that?"

Jane ran her fingers through her hair. "Honestly, I have no idea." A small smirk crossed her face as she forced herself to sound braver than she felt. "But I'm willing to bet that it will either end up with me dead or permanently imprisoned."

Sif gave a small smile, too. "Well, if you really are Hel bent on taking Loki down, there's something you should know." Jane turned to her at full attention. "I don't know where Loki got his powers from, but you can't become that powerful without a little help." Her eyes turned very serious. "He's working with someone, Jane. Someone much more powerful than a citizen of Asgard."

Jane nodded solemnly. It made sense that someone was helping Loki. It might even explain what he was busy doing for some of his long absences.

There was nothing left to say. Jane wasn't really interested in what Sif might think of the situation, and was certainly not going to face Loki's wrath if caught trying to hide Sif away until she could be sent to Earth. After a short silence, the women decided it was safer for Sif to return to mind control than to risk being discovered by Loki. Jane promised to find Sif again as soon as she had a grasp on a plan. "You won't ever have to do this again," Jane said as she held the ring over Sif's finger.

"You had better be right about that," Sif replied sharply. At the last instant, she reached out and stilled Jane's hand. "Be careful, Jane." Jane nodded and slid the ring the rest of the way onto Sif's finger. In a moment, Sif's features slid back into the vacant stare from before. Jane watched as Sif walked away, rounding a corner and going out of sight. For a brief instant, she thought about following the warrior to see what sort of mission she was on, but for once, she didn't want to know. With Sif gone, she suddenly felt completely alone for the first time since arriving in Asgard. She wasn't sure if it was liberating or depressing.

Jane continued roaming the halls, this time lost in her thoughts. _Who is Loki working with? What do they get out of putting him in control of a mortal Asgard?_ Even as she asked the questions, she realized that part of her didn't want to know. No matter what Sif had told her, she still felt the internal tug drawing her to Loki. She would still give herself to him. Perhaps if she didn't know his real motivations, it would make it easier, somehow. _Yeah, right. I know he's a monster and I still want him. What's wrong with me?_

After a short time of wandering and brooding, Jane found herself back in a hallway she recognized. It was the same hallway Loki had walked her down before - the one that led to the dungeons. She could go see Thor right now if she wanted to. Did she want to? _No._ Jane remembered Thor's defeated expression and his anger at her for getting involved. He seemed to think that if he couldn't save Jane, there was no rescuing to be done at all. She felt her fists clenching and unclenching as anger bubbled up inside of her. He wasn't there for her when she needed him most. As much as she hated him for it, it also strengthened her resolve to get him out of this mess. She couldn't face him now, but she would find a way to free him and make him see her for how strong she really was. Somehow.

Jane wheeled about in frustration, desperate to find an escape. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the weight of her mission and needed a minute to be normal. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that when she opened them she would find herself back in her lab with Erik and a steaming cup of coffee. When she popped an eyelid open, she didn't find her lab, but did spot a place to hide out for a few minutes.

At the end of the hall stood an open archway leading into a part of the palace gardens Jane had never been before. The sunlight warmed her skin as she stepped closer to the greenery. Flowers in a rainbow of hues surrounded her, some stalks growing higher than her head. She felt like Alice in Wonderland marveling at the enchanted flora for the first time. Out of the multitude of blooms, one in particular caught her eye. She reached out delicately to touch its white petals that were in beautiful contrast to its purple stem. The velvety petals caressed her palm and the scent calmed her immediately. She plucked a small sprig of the flowers, intending to carry it back to Loki's chambers. It would be something of her own to keep there. Something to make the room feel less like a prison, more like home. She sat on a bench and closed her eyes, thankful for a moment of peace.

* * *

Loki was making his way to the garden when he saw her. He froze in his tracks. _What is she doing here?_ She looked serene, delicately sitting on a bench and basking in the sun. In her hand she held a flower. _Why would she want_ that _flower?_ For a brief instant he thought of going out there and ripping it from her fingers. She should know better than to touch what wasn't hers.

But then he was struck with a different thought. _What if she simply shared the same taste in floral beauty?_ It seemed too much of a coincidence that Jane would be drawn to Frigga's favorite flowers, but perhaps that's exactly what this was. Loki had woven too many plans in his time to believe in coincidences, yet he struggled to believe that Jane could have planned this. _She couldn't have known, could she?_ He stayed in the shadows, watching her in befuddlement. For the first time, he found himself looking at her as more than a tool to be used for his pleasure. _Who are you, Jane Foster?_

She opened her eyes then, and he made his move. He was standing in front of her before she had even fully realized he was there. At first she appeared surprised, then a slight look of irritation crept into her features. He chuckled internally, sure that she hadn't expected to be disturbed. "Good afternoon, Ms. Foster." She nodded in response, looking both irritated and wary. Without warning, he sat next to her, but made no move to touch her. He could sense a shockwave reverberating through her as she reacted to his presence. Turning his stare to better take in her expression, he was intensely curious of how she was feeling. _Do you fear me, my little pet? Are you craving my touch?_ Her eyes held a mix of emotions he couldn't decipher and he chuckled aloud. _Such an interesting creature you are, Jane._

He motioned to the flowers in her hand. "I see you have taken a liking to the palace gardens?"

She blushed slightly and he felt his cock twitch in response. This was the same look she had given him when he discovered her in the bath earlier. "Yeah," she said softly. She twirled the flower in her fingers, considering it carefully. "We don't have this particular species on Earth. It's beautiful."

Loki was taken aback by the honesty in her eyes. This really was about the simple beauty of a flower. "It was Frigga's favorite." The words were out before he could stop himself.

Jane looked up at him through her long lashes, a soft smile curving her lips. "I can see why. It reminds me of her, I think. The scent is really calming." She took another sniff of the light scent and he could see her shoulders falling back, losing their tension.

He allowed himself to bask in the warmth radiating from her for a few moments before she spoke again. Her words were so soft that he strained to hear. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" Those were probably the last words he had expected to hear from her.

"For this," she said as she gestured toward the garden. "For allowing me out of the room. I really needed some air." She wasn't babbling as he had heard her do with Thor. Each word seemed deliberate, heartfelt yet forced from her lips. It wasn't easy for her to thank him for this small freedom, but she was grateful nonetheless. Loki couldn't begin to fathom how she could feel any gratitude in her current situation.

He was overcome with the urge to touch her. He wanted to pull her to him and absorb her sense of peace in order to heal his fractured life. He wanted to fuck her senseless, right here on this bench, if only to make himself forget for a few small moments. Before he could stop himself, his hand was over hers, caressing her knuckles as he stroked the white petals. She was shivering slightly, but she didn't pull away. He brought his other hand to her face, allowing his palm to rest on her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut as he brushed his thumb over her lips. Her mouth parted slightly and he felt himself hardening as he thought of the feel of her lips over his. She leaned into his touch, relaxing the fingers of the hand he was holding. The flower dropped to the ground. The spell was broken.

Loki pulled away, furious with himself. He stared at her with a hardened look, wondering what she had done to make him forget himself. She couldn't heal him, she couldn't help him. She was simply a means to an end. Jane was staring at him with desperate eyes, breath still coming in small sighs. She didn't understand what had made him pull away and he wouldn't tell her. He pulled his eyes from her face and focused on an empty patch of pavement. "Dress for dinner. I will summon you shortly." He didn't look at her again as he teleported himself away.

* * *

Jane sat dumbfounded on the bench, the burning touch of Loki's fingers still searing her flesh. _What the hell just happened?_

* * *

 **A/N:** Teasing again, I know, but trust me that more of that smutty goodness is coming your way sometime soon. :) Let me know what you think! Your wonderful support and feedback keeps this story going.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Holy hot tamale, this chapter turned out... nice. ;) It's a long one, but I promise you it's worth it. Enjoy!

* * *

Back in Loki's chambers, Jane slumped in a chair with her head in her hands. _Who was that in the garden? Because it certainly wasn't Loki._ She kept replaying the scene in her mind. He hadn't looked at her like he wanted to devour her whole. There had been something else - hope, maybe? - in his expression. Whatever it was, she had never seen it before. _It's almost like that's who Loki would be if he was human._ She considered the thought for a moment, trying to wrap her brain around a version of Loki without the sorcery, blood lust, or notorious deception. The mental gymnastics of it were exhausting.

She didn't want to think about his maddening change of moods anymore, but the only alternative was getting dressed for dinner. With Loki. Jane moaned in frustration as she propelled herself from the chair. Like it or not, there was no easy way out of this situation. And if she wanted to rescue herself, she would need to meet him head to head at tonight's dinner. A dinner that was more than likely a precursor to… She couldn't even think it. Surprisingly, knowing that she would acquiesce didn't do much to calm her nerves. Instead it made her more nervous.

What would Loki do? Would he require her to make the first move? Because that was never going to happen. What if she held off for a few more days? Would that snap what little patience he probably had left and nullify the bargain? She wished beyond anything that she could talk to Darcy about this. Darcy would know what to say, she always did. Even when it got them both into sticky situations.

"Channel your inner Darcy," she whispered to herself like a mantra. When she saw the dress that was waiting for her, she instantly knew what Darcy would say. _Here's what you're gonna do: You're gonna look fucking hot wearing that and have him drooling on the floor._ Jane couldn't deny that the dress was beautiful. She had expected Loki to select something in the more traditional style of clothing women wore on Asgard, but she couldn't have been more wrong. This dress looked like it belonged on a red carpet somewhere with paparazzi screaming to find out who had designed it. Like everything Loki had given her to wear, it was an emerald green, but the fabric transformed the dress into something nearly glowing like a gemstone. When she lifted the dress from the bed, her jaw dropped at what was lying beneath it.

She set the dress down carefully and picked up the thin material. In her hands, she held a matching bra and panties set made of sheer black lace. It seemed so small and fragile in her fingers that she imagined it couldn't offer her any real concealment should the dress come off. _When the dress comes off._ She thought about wearing something else, or not wearing undergarments at all, but with Loki, either would be more trouble than it was worth. She pulled the lace over her skin, then hurried to slip the beautiful creation over her head. Jane struggled not to topple over in the accompanying emerald heels as she raced to the mirror.

"Wow."

Staring back at Jane from the mirror was someone who she could barely recognize. The sweetheart cut of the dress amplified her cleavage into the curves of Aphrodite herself. She ran a hand over her torso, trying to convince herself this really was her wearing a dress that clung tight to her frame with a small gold band around the waist. The skirt was a slim cut, but flowing. It wasn't until Jane shifted slightly that she realized there was a thigh-high slit on the right side of the gown. Blushing at the daring cut, she turned around to inspect the back. Here she saw that the small cap sleeves led to a nearly backless dress connecting to the gold band that dipped just above the curves of her backside. It hugged her figure in the most delicious way. Jane didn't even need Darcy here to tell her how amazing she looked. She felt hot. More than hot. In this dress, she was an irresistible sex goddess who could have any man begging on his knees.

She turned to the vanity table, hoping to complete her look with something other than her limp hair. It was now covered in hair supplies when she could have sworn it was empty that morning, but she wasn't going to complain. After two botched attempts, she finally succeeded in using a few well-placed bobby pins to pull her hair into a loose updo. Jane examined her reflection in the mirror, pleased to note that with her hair swept up, Loki's eyes would have a hard time leaving the curve of her neck, her breasts, the low cut of her back. She couldn't wield magic, but she felt the power of seduction resting in the palm of her hand. Hopefully she would have the strength to use it.

Jane half expected to be whisked away the moment she was dressed, but she didn't feel the tingle of magic. She just felt sweaty. As the minutes ticked by, her confidence slowly ebbed away, leaving her with an ever-growing sense of anxiety. Her nerves were wound tight as a mix of apprehension and excitement swirled through her veins. Her palms were clammy, her breathing uneven. She started pacing the room, wobbling a few times in her heels. _Is this part of his game, trying to get me so nervous that I can't even think? If it is, it's definitely working._ Picking up the front of her dress, she turned to pace again. "How am I supposed to go through with this?" she asked the air. Loki, the monster who had taken over Asgard - apparently without a single death - the man who held her prisoner, the man who made her feel things she couldn't control, the man who had shown her shreds of kindness when she thought him capable of only cruelty, the man who held her fate in his hands, expected her to dine with him. And probably more. Did she still want it to be more? Had she ever wanted it to be more? She was on the verge of completely losing it when the warm glow of magic spread over her body, bringing her to wherever Loki was waiting.

Jane materialized in a part of Asgard she had never seen before. She couldn't be entirely sure, but she didn't think this was part of the palace. In front of her was an intimate dining table set with golden dishes and small candles giving off a warm light. The table was below the open air, arranged in the middle of a terrace affording her a clear view of the stars. Glowing orbs of light scattered around the perimeter bathed the scene in a gentle radiance, and the night sky reflected in a lazy stream rolling by.

A hand caressed the small of her back and she instantly felt her heartbeat slow from its frantic pace. His breath was warm on the back of her neck, spreading heat from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. He brushed his fingers from the nape of her neck, slowly down the length of exposed skin, until both hands rested on her hips, thumbs gently stroking her bared flesh. Jane couldn't remember why she had been nervous. She could barely remember how to breathe.

"Good evening, Jane," Loki whispered as his lips brushed her ear. His tone was low, sultry and firm.

Jane shuddered as his breath sent flashes of heat racing across her skin. "H-hi," she managed at last.

He chuckled, inching his hands lower on her body. Jane gasped as his thumbs traced the skin of her lower back a hair's breadth above the daring edge of the dress. If she shifted even slightly, his hands would be cupping her ass. The thought of his hands sliding over her, gripping her sparked a growing fire in her core. As though drawn to her heat, Loki slowly curved his right hand around her upper thigh until it found the slit in the fabric. He snaked his fingers across her skin, working his way closer and closer to the center between her thighs. Jane felt her legs part involuntarily. Her body was giving in to Loki's touch all on its own, hungry for the feeling of his fingers dipping into her warm wetness. His hand moved inside the dress, tracing the lines of lace separating him from her aching need.

Jane leaned back against the hard planes of his chest and turned her face so that her skin brushed against the hollow of his neck. Her breath came in short gasps as he slid a finger beneath the fabric. Loki traced her seam, coating himself in the evidence of her arousal without truly dipping inside of her. She squirmed in his touch, releasing a small moan against his neck. "Mm, you want this, hmm, Jane?" Loki growled as he dipped his finger incrementally further inside of her.

She tried to vocalize her assent, but all that came out was a garbled sigh that ghosted across his skin. Her failed attempt at speech earned her another chuckle before Loki ran his finger up toward her front where he brushed it delicately over her clit. Jane moaned and arched into his hand, but he slid his finger out of her reach in a refusal to touch her directly. He released another chuckle. "Ah, so eager, Ms. Foster." He pulled his hand away completely and Jane moaned lightly at the loss of contact. "Come now, we can't let the meal get cold."

Jane allowed herself to be led to the table, but fumed internally that she had gotten so worked up over the slightest touches. She was coming undone at the seams and Loki was to blame. As he pushed in her chair, she turned to look at him for the first time that night. She was astonished to find that not only had he chosen to wear a black tuxedo, but that the look was incredible on him. The jacket appeared as though it had been perfectly tailored to highlight his lean and muscular frame, and the thin black tie around his neck added a level of sophistication. It was a look that highlighted Loki's tightly wound strength in contrast to Thor's bulky mass. He caught her staring as he sat down, and a wicked grin spread across his face. She flushed and looked away. "I'm surprised you picked clothes from Earth," she said as though to excuse her looking at him.

"I find mortal's suits to be more flattering than plated armor, and I find that dress to be quite befitting for a woman with your exceptional beauty." Her face burned brighter, but she looked back at him. She half expected the remark to be a joke, but the expression on his face told a different story. His eyes roamed over her form, relishing in her appearance rather than undressing her. "However, I do find Asgard's wine to be far superior to any variety found on Earth," he continued. "Would you care for a glass?"

"Just one," Jane said as she remembered what had happened when she allowed the alcohol to make her careless. Loki filled their glasses and she took a small sip, surprised to find that this was tastier than the one she'd had before. "Wow, that's good." She didn't have the palate or the vocabulary to decide if there were hints of this or overtones of that. All she knew was that this definitely beat anything else she'd ever had.

"It's a personal favorite of mine, as is our first course." Loki barely waved his hand and a bowl appeared on her plate filled with a creamy, orange bisque topped with a sprig of rosemary. Jane brought a spoonful to her lips and rolled her eyes back in ecstasy.

"This. Is. Heaven." she growled between bites. Suddenly, she realized she was eating much faster than was appropriate for such a formal dinner. Forcing herself to slow down, she sipped on her dish at a much slower pace.

Loki smirked at her lapse in manners and continued to sip his bisque as well. "I'm glad you like it."

Jane set her spoon down, looking him full in the face. "Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, what is this? The dress, the dinner, why are you doing this?"

He set his spoon down as well, eyeing her with a look of amusement. "Oh, it's quite simple. You serve to provide me pleasure, and this evening I intend to derive my pleasure from a delicious meal." The look that accompanied his words hinted that the food before them was hardly the meal he was speaking of.

"Right," Jane said as she turned back to her bowl. She pointedly ignored Loki, focusing only on the soup before her. When she ran out of bisque, she was forced to look up again, and found Loki staring at her. His expression was hard to read, but she couldn't pull away from his gaze.

"Tell me about yourself, Jane," he said at last.

She fidgeted in her seat, unsure of how to answer. "What do you want to know?"

He considered for a moment, spooning up the last of his bisque. "Why are you drawn to the stars?"

Jane was surprised he'd asked such a personal question. She looked up at the night sky above them as though her answer might be waiting somewhere up there. "It's always been something I loved, I guess. I mean, I remember when I was a little girl and my dad would take me stargazing with his telescope. The first time we went, he took me to this hill a few miles out of the city. I'd always thought I'd known what the sky looked like, that it was just a murky black canvas. But when I looked through the lens, it was like I was seeing a whole new world for the first time. It was like this secret place that had been above me all my life, just waiting to be discovered." She slowly dropped her gaze from the stars overhead to the world around them. "And it turns out I was right. There are so many worlds, and realms, and secrets in the stars that the people on Earth haven't even began to discover. So many more that I want to learn about." Her eyes came to rest on him as she finished her sentence. _So many things about you that I still want to know._

"I was drawn to magic in much the same way, actually." He looked at her for a moment before waving his fingers to clear their plates and bring forth new ones.

"Tell me." Jane couldn't believe Loki had offered even the smallest bit of information about himself. She was desperate to know more.

"Try the fish."

She cut off a part of the flaky fillet and groaned as it melted in her mouth. "Ok. It's amazing. Now tell me your story." This was the closest they had ever come to levity or humor and she was willing to test the boundaries on the off-chance she could actually learn something about this living, breathing, firewall.

He gave a rueful smirk, but agreed. "Much like your father who introduced you to astronomy, it was my mother who showed me the world of magic." Jane nodded. She had figured that Loki had taken more after Frigga than the mighty Odin who only valued strength. "She saw something in me," he continued. "A potential of some sort. Perhaps an avenue for me to claim power in Asgard in my own right, since brute strength was never my strong suit." He began to relax as he spoke, as though layers of his applied persona were slipping off and Jane was getting closer and closer to the man who lurked beneath.

"The first time she introduced it to me was when I was a young boy. I'd predictably lost some race or contest with the other youth of my age, and had vowed to never leave the palace walls again. After much whining and protest on my part, she persuaded me to come out to the gardens. She showed me how to bring a dying flower back to life. How to save her favorite flowers, the one you had in the gardens. After that, I couldn't get enough. I was hungry for more knowledge, for the great secrets hidden to the others around me."

Jane nodded again. "Right? It's like every time I learn something new, I uncover fifty new questions that need answering. It's kind of a rabbit hole, isn't it? Drawing you further and further in until you've gone so far there's no way out."

He looked at her intently. Not appraising, or scheming, but really looking at her, seeing her for who she was. "It's entirely like that."

"Maybe that's how we've both found ourselves here, huh?" Jane asked with a half chuckle. "We just kept digging and digging until we were in over our heads, but by the time we realized we should have turned back, we were already caught in this crazy web of-" she motioned at the scenery around her, at a loss for words, "this. All of this."

"And if you could disentangle yourself, would you?"

Jane sensed that this wasn't a trap. He actually wanted to know. _Why does he want to know?_ She finished her meal as she considered the answer to his question. "There are times I wish I could, you know." Did that include the current situation? She wasn't sure. His piercing stare drew her back toward him and she met his solemn expression. "But honestly, I don't think I could give it up. Discovering, reaching for new things, it's just part of who I am." She felt her insides flutter as she considered her next question. "Would you? Get out of all this, I mean. If you could?" She was half afraid to look at him, not sure what she would find in his expression.

Loki smirked, but it was mirthless. "The choice is no longer mine to make," he stated simply.

It felt like there was more to what he was saying, as though the weight of what he left unsaid contained the entirety of the darkness that he carried within him. Jane felt his skin under her palm before she even realized she'd reached out to touch him. Somewhere inside, he was like her. What had happened to warp Loki so deeply into the being he was now, the one trying to cover the one he was still holding onto inside? She took a deep breath. Maybe this was her chance. "You know, you're not as terrible as you give yourself credit for."

"That's hardly the case, Ms. Foster." He pulled his hand out from beneath hers.

 _One layer back up. Shit._ Jane made another desperate attempt. "I know you didn't kill anyone when you took over Asgard. You had to have a reason for saving them-"

He cut her off, a hard glare in his eye. "Do not presume to know my intentions. Saving any of them is far from what I have done."

 _Fuck. Last chance._ "I know that you say I'm just a servant to you, but you think of me as more than that." She didn't know that for sure, but she was gambling.

For the briefest instant, the vulnerable expression was back, as though she had struck some shred of truth, but then it vanished under the mask of cold contempt and control. He stood from his chair, stalking toward her until she rose from hers as well. His eyes were filled with raw hunger, and Jane's heart began hammering away again. "Allow me to show you _exactly_ what you are to me," he growled only inches from her lips.

In an instant, they were in Loki's chambers where he pushed Jane back onto the bed, moving over her on all fours. He removed the hands that had gripped his shoulders and forced them to the top of the bed. Jane watched wide-eyed as Loki materialized a piece of fabric and bound her wrists together. The bond was tight enough to limit her movement without hurting her. He lowered himself so their faces were inches apart and she had a full view of the wild hunger in his eyes. Loki traced a single finger along her jaw, growling, "Do not for one minute think that you are more than a tool to me, an object for my pleasure. I own you."

Jane gasped as Loki ripped the front of her gown in two, revealing her heaving chest. He effortlessly ripped apart the sleeves and whisked the entire garment from her body. She lay beneath him, legs forced together between his powerful thighs as he took stock of her figure covered only in the matching bits of black lace barely concealing her breasts and core. Her heart was pounding as she waited to discover what Loki would do to her.

She lifted her arms to reach out to him, to pull him closer, but he pinned her down again, harder this time. "You will do nothing without my permission. You will not even come unless I command you to do so. Do you understand?" He trailed his hands down her arms and to her breasts, rising and falling heavily with each breath. Loki circled his thumbs over her hardened buds exposed by the sheer fabric, drawing a breathy moan from Jane's throat. "Answer me," he demanded as he circled her again, driving the sensation higher.

"Yes," Jane whispered. She was already falling apart at his touch. She couldn't refuse him.

"Stay still." With a twitch of his fingers, Loki made the lace dissipate. He lowered his lips to her round fullness as his hands worked up her sides to firmly squeeze her breasts together. He sucked on a breast, slowly withdrawing his lips until there was nothing but his tongue circling the hardened bud of her nipple, forcing Jane to draw ragged breaths. Loki repeated the action on her other breast, this time rolling the nipple still warm from his mouth between his fingers. Jane arched her back, pressing herself closer to his mouth. He tugged her hardened bud through his teeth, causing Jane to cry out louder as her pleasure mixed with the pain. "I said to stay still." With a whimper, Jane complied and forced her back to press against the bed as Loki continued his pleasurable assault on her breasts.

With each swirl of his tongue and pinch of his fingers, Jane felt the well of desire inside of herself growing deeper and deeper. He'd been torturing her like this for days, and it wasn't enough anymore. She could feel her wetness beginning to coat her thighs and she ached for him to be inside of her. She fought the nearly involuntary moans long enough to cry out, "Please, Loki. I need more."

He raised his head from her breasts, revealing half-lidded eyes heavy with desire. "Beg me. Tell me exactly what you want and beg me for it."

Loki increased the pressure of his movements, causing Jane to fight back screams. She couldn't take this torture for a second longer. "Fuck me." Her voice was dripping with raw, carnal need. "Please, Loki. Take me. Fuck me. I need you," her speech was interrupted by a heavy moan as he tugged her with his teeth again. "I need you inside of me."

Moving his mouth toward the center of her chest, Loki sucked, kissed, and nipped a trail of skin from the swell of her breasts to the sensitive flesh beneath her ear. He dragged a hand across her stomach, dipping below her navel, under the lace, into her heat. He hissed a sharp intake of breath. "Your body is begging me, too, Jane." Sliding his finger up through her folds, he found her swollen clit and circled it once, twice, three times until Jane cried out loudly. Every point of contact between them sent lightning bolts of pleasure throughout her body, but it still wasn't enough. With each circle of his fingers, he took her higher and higher, but she felt her internal walls quivering with need. She needed him to fill every last centimeter of space within her, to give her what he had been making her dream of for so long.

"Please." Her voice was a tortured whimper of lust and longing.

Loki raised himself above her again, slowing his fingers to a tortuous pace that let her pleasure simmer without building it any further. "It's not enough just to give me your body. Surrender yourself to me."

 _No. Anything else I can give you, but not that._ Jane screwed her eyes shut, trying to think of any way around Loki's demands. She felt him slide his finger back to her aching hollow of need. He pushed two fingers inside, curling them up her walls, pushing, circling until he found her point of pleasure. Jane cried out again, hips bucking of their own accord. "Open your eyes." She forced herself to meet the intensity of his gaze. He was drinking in the pleasure radiating off of her body in waves of ecstasy as he worked his fingers against her.

"I can't," she whispered.

"You can." He grasped her chin with his free hand, tilting her face to meet his. "Don't fight this. Allow yourself to submit to me."

Jane was entranced by his words. It would be so easy. She could obey, let him push her body to the limits of its pleasure. She could give every last piece of herself to him. Loki halted her train of thought by crashing his lips against hers and sliding his tongue through her lips. She opened her mouth to his, matching him in pressure. She swirled her tongue against his and moaned into his mouth as his fingers circled her G-spot again. When he pulled away, breathless, she caught a look in his emerald eyes that she hadn't expected. It was a flicker of the look she had seen before, the one that revealed the cracks in his wicked persona. The look that convinced her that somewhere inside of the monster there lie fragility and vulnerability. The look that told her that even if she gave herself to him completely, she would never be merely an object to him, no matter what he may say. The look was gone again in a heartbeat, but Jane had already made up her mind. She would take the leap, damned whatever she may find on the other side.

"I belong to you." Her words were quiet, but her voice didn't waver for an instant.

Suddenly, Loki's lips were crashing over hers again, and his fingers were now pumping furiously in and out of her. She moaned into his mouth with each thrust, feeling her body fill with a mounting pleasure. "Loki," she purred. She was close. So, so close.

"Come for me. Now." As soon as the words dropped from his lips, Jane felt her body spasm. She cried out again, riding the waves of pleasure bursting from her orgasm. Just as it began to fade, Loki ran his thumb over her clit, accelerating the pleasure to new heights.

"Fuck!" Jane screamed, as she gyrated her hips against his hand. He pumped her until she lay still, limp with the exhaustion of sexual bliss. She let her eyes flutter closed as she basked in the sated feeling. The bed shifted when Loki got up, but Jane paid no mind. She only looked up again when she heard Loki chuckling softly from the edge of the bed.

"Oh, we are nowhere near done, Jane. I'm going to make you come until you beg me to stop."

"I don't think I can-"

He silenced her with a piercing glare that penetrated her skin and dug deep inside of her. "You can, and you will." He loosened the tie around his neck and licked his lips as his eyes roamed over her naked form. "Touch yourself."

She watched him with a growing hunger as the tie dropped from his neck and the first few buttons of his shirt came undone. Jane stared at the carved muscle of his chest just barely exposed beneath his loosened collar as she slid her hands down her body. "Will you untie me?" She raised her hands slightly toward him in offering.

Another flash of his eyes. "No." He was sliding out of his jacket, pulling off the belt. His movements were fluid, graceful in a way that left Jane entranced, unable to move or look away. He stopped undressing when he noticed she was frozen, staring at him. "Jane," he growled from low in his throat, indicating for her to continue.

A gasp escaped her when he said her name like that. The raw, primal power of his voice ignited an ember within her she hadn't realized was still burning until this moment. _I can do this again._ With her hands tied together, it was difficult to find the right angle, but she succeeded in coating her fingers in the copious juices left scattered between her thighs. Loki watched her with predatory eyes as her fingers circled her clit slowly, further drawing out the need that had been building there. Her hands found the rhythm her body needed, alternating between soft and agonizingly slow circles and moments of increased pressure and speed.

At the foot of the bed, Loki moaned deeply, continuing to undo the buttons on his shirt one by one. Jane gave pleasure-filled sighs as each button was removed, exposing a few more inches of the toned torso she wanted pressed against her. At last he had shed his shirt completely, and began to remove the pants. Another cry escaped Jane, louder this time, as he tugged them slowly down his hips. Finally, tantalizingly, he removed his underwear until he was standing before her completely bare, gently stroking his hardened length.

Jane watched through waves of ever more intense sensations as he walked back to the bed, crawled on top of her, paused on all fours above her. She moaned as he lowered his shaft between her thighs, gliding the head through her folds to gather wetness. "Ah!" Jane couldn't wait a single moment longer. She was getting close, she needed him in her now. "Fuck me," she pleaded.

Loki guided himself to her entrance, groaning as he came in contact with her heat. "Can you take me?" He pushed the head inside of her and they both cried out together. "You're so tight." Already Jane could feel him stretching her. It was a warm, tantalizing feeling, but it wasn't enough.

"Give me more," she breathed.

"Like this?" He slid deeper into her, and Jane felt her insides burning and stretching to take him. Her fingers were flying between their joined bodies at a rapid pace, sending her quickly toward her peak.

"All of it," she begged. "I need everything. I'm so close."

Their cries tangled together as he pierced her to the deepest parts of herself, filling her, stretching her beyond capacity. His breathing was labored from the effort of remaining still, from resisting pumping into her mercilessly. "I need to feel you come," he groaned. "Let me feel your pussy tighten around me."

His words sent Jane over the edge. Her orgasm was ripping through her, wild, uncontrollable. Her hips fluttered, her walls clenched, squeezing him, gripping him within her. His name spilled from her lips as part of a scream, a moan, a plea as her body continued to tremble. She clamped her legs around his waist, arched her back, and with a final wave of pleasure she began to descend back from the blinding light he'd sent her to. But before she could fall completely back to Earth, Loki began moving inside of her.

"Loki." She was barely able to whisper, barely able to breathe.

He groaned slightly as he began increasing the length of his movements, pulling back a bit further each time, pushing in a little farther. "You can do it, Jane. You are going to come again. You're going to come for me." Grunts punctuated his speech as he pulled back to her very entrance, until he was nearly out of her completely before he slammed back inside of her, spearing her in one long stroke. Jane cried out at the force of his movements, but there was nothing she could do. She was helpless, and if he wanted to make her come again, all she could do was hang on for dear life. He increased the speed of his motions, rocking their bodies together as he pounded into her. Just as she felt her walls begin to shiver, he stopped, fully sheathed inside of her.

"Mmm, not yet. Not until I am all the way inside of you."

Jane tried to ask him what he meant, but her speech was lost in a moan as her insides clenched once more. Before she could speculate about his intent, Loki grasped her by the ankles and forced her legs to bend, thighs coming up to her chest, knees spread apart. _Oh._

He stared at her with an intensity she hadn't dreamed was possible. His voice was colored with the strain of holding on to what little self control remained to him. "You are going to take me all of the way inside of you and I am going to make you come harder than you have in your entire life. And when you come, you are going to scream my name."

After that, all words were lost as he plunged himself into her once more. He was right, with her legs spread open before him, he was even deeper inside of her. She burned, she stretched as he spread her apart, drilling into her harder and harder. His hands slid to the underside of her knees, holding her in place, widening her. He drove into her faster, until the fire inside of her turned into a white-hot sun, until she felt like she was shattering into millions of tiny pieces. Jane screamed as her climax hit, making every single muscle in her body quiver with the intensity of its awe. His name dripped from her lips in low moans. She threw her arms around Loki's neck, holding onto him for dear life as her body was wracked by wave after wave of searing heat. And then she felt his pace break as he slammed into her twice in quick succession and cried out with the force of his own release. Her insides still contracting, she pulled his release from him in hot spurts that dripped between their entwined bodies as they tried to steady their breathing.

She stayed like that for several moments, filled by Loki, consumed by him. Their foreheads were pressed together now, her arms still around his neck as their chests rose and fell. She wanted to say something to him, but she couldn't find the words. She could only breathe, and try to come back to reality after the life-shattering moment they had just shared.

After a few more seconds, Loki disentangled their bodies and stalked away from the bed. When he returned, he was covered by the deep green robe he'd worn earlier. Jane watched in confusion as he threw her a towel and turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" she called.

He said nothing as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

 **A/N:** See? I wasn't kidding. This chapter was really fun to write, but I'm expecting a slightly slower turnaround on Chapter 9 - stay tuned for more soon!

Also, this story (and its author) could use a little love in the form of more reviews. I'm really interested to find out what you guys like so far about this story, or what you're reacting to so I can keep things exciting. So yeah, this seems like a shameless plug for more reviews, but it's about the feedback you guys give and not about the numbers. Ok, it's like 95% percent not about the numbers, but can you blame me for wanting higher stats on a story I'm really enjoying? (And if you do blame me, don't tell me. I prefer to live in denial.) :)

Above all, thank you for reading this story, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!


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